City of Houston Green Building Center: The City of Houston Code Enforcement Center is big on education, green education. They have created an education opportunity and resource center for sustainable construction with their Green Building Resource Center, housed in the same building as their permitting office.
The center offers hands on displays of different building material, energy efficient construction elements, and an education on the reasons these choices help more than your wallet. Steve Steizer, Program Director, talked to us about some of the products the city is trying to make construction companies and individuals aware of in hopes of seeing the increased implementation of sustainable building practices practices. Helping people understand that you can do something 'green' without having to take on a LEED platinum project is a powerful component of their education. One of the coolest new products they had on display was StabiliGrid, a simple grid for setting a pervious driveway. The grid system sits on a sand base and is filled with gravel or dirt and grass. The open crate allows water to flow through and back into the ground or a rainwater collection pipe. The product works on the "snowshoe principle" by dispersing weight of the vehicle over a larger area - they even have a product for horses, to keep them out of the mud. The center offered information and sources on everything from roofing to furniture, flooring to recycling. Many of the information is provided directly from vendors and organized and combined into displays to help everyone from the novice do-it-yourself-er to the professional builder.
The center does more than preach sustainable building, it practices it. Housed in a re-purposed industrial warehouse, the building has abundant natural light and a green roof. Even the many of the information signs were recycled were made on recycled paper or board. While the Green Building Resource Center may be a new city concept, it is one that meets people where they are - literally - and offers free information and suggestions about how to make responsible decisions about building and improvement. One of the challenges Steve said the center continues to work on is taking people from the initial excitement to actually undertaking the work. He thought their follow-through was about 25% and would like to see it go higher.
TAKE AWAY OF THE DAY: People need and want to be educated about the choices they have when it comes to building and renovating their homes. Businesses are seeking ways to be more responsible with the resources of their companies and the planet. Awareness of what green products are available and education about the different benefits they provide are two of the things that will help bridge the gap between "I didn't know" and action.
The center offers hands on displays of different building material, energy efficient construction elements, and an education on the reasons these choices help more than your wallet. Steve Steizer, Program Director, talked to us about some of the products the city is trying to make construction companies and individuals aware of in hopes of seeing the increased implementation of sustainable building practices practices. Helping people understand that you can do something 'green' without having to take on a LEED platinum project is a powerful component of their education. One of the coolest new products they had on display was StabiliGrid, a simple grid for setting a pervious driveway. The grid system sits on a sand base and is filled with gravel or dirt and grass. The open crate allows water to flow through and back into the ground or a rainwater collection pipe. The product works on the "snowshoe principle" by dispersing weight of the vehicle over a larger area - they even have a product for horses, to keep them out of the mud. The center offered information and sources on everything from roofing to furniture, flooring to recycling. Many of the information is provided directly from vendors and organized and combined into displays to help everyone from the novice do-it-yourself-er to the professional builder.
The center does more than preach sustainable building, it practices it. Housed in a re-purposed industrial warehouse, the building has abundant natural light and a green roof. Even the many of the information signs were recycled were made on recycled paper or board. While the Green Building Resource Center may be a new city concept, it is one that meets people where they are - literally - and offers free information and suggestions about how to make responsible decisions about building and improvement. One of the challenges Steve said the center continues to work on is taking people from the initial excitement to actually undertaking the work. He thought their follow-through was about 25% and would like to see it go higher. 
TAKE AWAY OF THE DAY: People need and want to be educated about the choices they have when it comes to building and renovating their homes. Businesses are seeking ways to be more responsible with the resources of their companies and the planet. Awareness of what green products are available and education about the different benefits they provide are two of the things that will help bridge the gap between "I didn't know" and action.
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