Opus Picked in Net Zero Building Initiative

Portland - The Opus Group has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to participate in the agency’s Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative saving technologies and produce real building design solutions yielding significant, measurable energy savings in their commercial buildings.

In 2007, commercial buildings consumed about 19 percent of U.S. energy and accounted for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. DOE requested proposals from its National Labs and private sector companies to achieve cost-effective savings of 50 percent above the standard set (CBI) that will help explore and develop new approaches to reduce energy consumption in commercial buildings.

Opus is one of 21 companies across the US, which include retailers, financial institutions and commercial real estate firms, who were selected for the first phase of awards, valued at $15 million, for the Net-Zero Energy CBI. The companies will team with two of DOE’s National Laboratories to speed market adoption of current energy by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers for new commercial building designs, and a savings of 30 percent for retrofits to existing buildings.

Each private sector company proposed to have their design and facility management team work with DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to design, build, tune and operate at least one new prototype building and to retrofit an existing building project for 50 percent and 30 percent energy savings, respectively. The funding provides access to the lab’s unique expertise in low-energy building design and retrofit. These building projects will provide unprecedented insight into private sector decision processes, business models and financial drivers for achieving low-energy buildings.

In identifying approaches that can be replicated across the nation, each National Lab will provide technical experts to assist researchers, building professionals, the construction industry and component and equipment suppliers. These building experts will use cutting-edge efficiency technologies and on-site renewable energy generation to offset their energy use from the electricity grid. Awards will include continuation decision points and may be partially funded in future fiscal years, depending on project success and annual appropriations.

Restaurant Opens in Downtown Portland

Portland - David Machado will open a new restaurant in Hotel Modera in downtown Portland in the Spring of 2009. With floor-to-ceiling windows in the lobby, the indoors and outdoors are seamlessly integrated. Outside the lobby is the hotel’s innovative public courtyard which includes a “living wall” that displays indigenous plants placed vertically, fire pits and plenty of seating.

Prior to opening his own restaurants in 2003, Machado spent five years as the Vice President of Restaurants for the Heathman Group. In this position, he was responsible for the operations, development and marketing of four full-service restaurants including the Heathman Restaurant,  Southpark Seafood Grill and Hudson’s Bar and Grill.

Hotel Modera’s five-story building underwent a massive renovation before opening May 31, 2008. Designers embraced the original mid-modern architecture, touching and upgrading every surface in some way to highlight the warm and inviting elements of that era.

Holst Architecture, the architects behind the hotel’s award-winning lobby, was chosen to design the new restaurant.

Skanska Awarded Project For Living Building Challenge

Beaverton -– Skanska USA Building Inc. announced that it, along with four other firms, was recently awarded a project to conduct a Living Building Challenge Financial Study for the Cascadia Region Green Building Council. Once completed, the study will provide usable cost information that will help jurisdictions, owners, design professionals, engineers and contractors better understand the true market limitations that challenge the pursuit of certification under the Living Building framework.

Skanska’s extensive experience in working on sustainability-focused projects will support a team led by Portland-based SERA Architects and joined by Gerding/Edlen Development, New Buildings Institute and Interface Engineering, Inc. The final study is expected to be published by the end of 2008. By definition, Living Buildings seek to operate more like trees by managing all of their needs and wastes in the place where they are rooted.

A Living Building meets stringent prerequisites in the areas of site selection, water use, energy efficiency, responsibly sourced materials, indoor air quality, and beauty and inspiration. The Living Building Challenge builds on the market transformation initiated and fueled by LEED®, but changes the approach by being performance based. Living Buildings are held back from being truly sustainable by code barriers, new product development, current financing structures and societal norms.

The Living Building Financial Study will provide pricing information and strategies for nine different building types and four climate zones compared to a set of reference buildings that have all achieved, or are pursuing, LEED Gold certification. The study seeks to analyze first-cost premiums and to also describe the added value above simple payback that is realized through deep green design and construction. The study will also provide indicators as to the varying impacts of scale and location on the pursuit of sustainable buildings.