Columbia Green Technologies, the Portland-based company and leader in the North America green roofing market, teamed up with GBD Architects the designers for the Hassalo on Eighth project, a fully sustainable 657-unit community with over 50,000 s.f. of retail space. The Eco-District's cutting edge water management system is not only helping the environment, but also provided a refund of over $1.48 million in City's system development charges (SDC). “Hassalo on Eighth is one of the most innovative and self- sustaining developments within a recognized Eco-District in the nation. In my opinion, this is to be the modern building standard for the construction of resilient cities. The Columbia Green Technologies green roof is significant to the performance of our buildings as it retains stormwater on the roof, reducing demand on an already undersized city storm/sewer system.” Said Wade Lange, American Assets Trust the Building Owner.
The towers use a Natural Organic Recycling Machine (N.O.R.M.) system that treats and recycles grey and black water. Additionally, the project’s green roofs reduce peak flows during large rain events by retaining stormwater, preventing stormwater flows from overwhelming the system. Columbia Green’s CEO, Vanessa Keitges says, “Columbia Green is continuing to be at the forefront of Green Tech research and design. We strive to provide the best innovations for sustainable architecture and engineering.” This Hassalo project as an example is at the forefront of the National Resilient Cites trend by managing all the water onsite.
The company has been involved in many other projects that bring savings through sustainable design, including Paul Allen’s Vulcan Inc., EMP museum's "Little Wing" Office Building in Seattle. A green roof and cistern installed on its administrative building produced a savings of $70,000. Jason Twill, project manager for Vulcan stated, “We selected Columbia Green for the quality and reputation of the product and the intelligence and confidence of the team in assisting our design.” With Columbia Green’s expertise, choosing sustainability doesn’t have to expensive. Companies can go green and save.
Should you desire to learn more, please feel free to contact Andrea Saven, Technical Director for Columbia Green Technologies. See the case study here on Hassalo and Eigth project.