A Material Approach to the Natural World
The creation and renovation of buildings consume tremendous amounts of natural resources and energy, and have potentially long-term and significant toxic impacts on our health and the natural world. Every material specification and purchase is an opportunity to support our local economies, reduce our impacts, improve the health of our interior environments and increase our connection to the natural world.
Responsible Use + Sourcing for Healthy Buildings and a Healthy World
Incorporating salvaged materials in sustainable construction is an excellent way to offset the pressure on our natural resources. We always take the traditional green construction approach: reduce, reuse, and repurpose first. Then, when purchasing new products, we make every effort to source toxic-free healthy building materials. We are members of the International Living Future Institute and advocates of the Living Building Challenge (LBC). The LBC’s Materials Red List helps ensure that we select healthy building materials for healthy houses and buildings.
With every dollar spent, Green Hammer is committed to improving the health and prosperity of our clients, their communities and the natural world. This commitment is exemplified by our membership and support for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), where we take a seat at their global assembly alongside Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund.
In 2005, Green Hammer founder and CEO, Stephen Aiguier, co-founded the Build Local Alliance as a way to further support sustainable, green construction in Oregon. The alliance is a non-profit connecting sustainable foresters and their wood products to adjacent urban communities.