Green building expert speaks in Sisters

Kathleen O'Brien, a well-known author and expert on sustainable housing, visited Sisters to speak about green and sustainable housing at Paulina Springs Books last week.

Her book "The Green Home Primer," co-authored with Kathleen Smith, is considered the definitive work for green building in the Pacific Northwest.

Founder and president of O'Brien & Company, a nationally recognized leader in sustainable design-build consulting, education and research, O'Brien is also the lead instructor for Seattle's Sustainable Building Advisor Certification program. She organized the first regional conference in the Northwest for the green building industry and has worked with local chapters of the National Association of Home Builders to develop award-winning, government-supported green building programs.

O'Brien practices what she preaches. Her Bainbridge Island (Washington) home has achieved the highest rating in Built Green certification, won the Parade of Homes Environmental Achievement Award and has been featured on Home and Garden TV. She has published more than 100 articles, including features in the Journal of Light Construction, Environmental Building News, Conservation Monitor, Construction Data, Building with Nature, BioCycle and Resource Recycling.

She has additionally been involved in numerous projects that build sustainable yet affordable housing.

"The biggest opportunities for building sustainable housing are in the affordable housing arena. It makes a big difference as the homes are more affordable in every way, not only in purchase price but also in living," she said.

She has been involved in the construction of more than 6,000 homes during her career, many of which are considered affordable housing.

According to O'Brien, homes are a major source of greenhouse gases.

"In the United States 48 percent of carbon dioxide emissions are directly connected to homes and their construction. There are many things globally where we can't make a difference. For example, we can't determine which wars we will fight. That is done by others, but we can make a difference to the environment by using sustainable building techniques," said O'Brien.

Of particular interest to the residents of Sisters with the ongoing restoration of Whychus Creek were water projects that O'Brien helped to develop in the Seattle area. The projects are designed to protect salmon which are endangered due to pollution that is entering the watershed through water run-off.

A Seattle demonstration project funded by a grant to reduce pollution in local streams from storm sewer run-off was so successful that there was not enough run-off during rain storms to effectively test for pollution. Not only was the project environmentally successful, the improved aesthetics over conventional street concepts created a measure of jealousy in surrounding neighborhoods, according to O'Brien.

Sisters is an ideal location to develop a sustainable community.

"Less is more when it comes to being green. Where I built on Bainbridge Island, I can walk to the store, walk to the movie house and walk to the ferry. Sisters is compact enough to provide many of the same opportunities. Compact and well designed homes in a compact community are a perfect mix," said O'Brien.

More information about sustainable building can be obtained at http://www.greenhomeprimer.com. O'Brien's book is available at Paulina Springs Books.