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Where resilient design meets building performance

Discover expert insights, practical tools and the latest insights into sustainable design and construction

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Quick Start Guides

Start here to learn more about Green Hammer’s design build process and what it’s like to to work with us.

Courtyard view of Trillium Townhomes, oriented around a central pedestrian path and a landscaped courtyard. A wooden pergola provides a shaded seating area where several residents are seen gathering, reflecting the community's focus on social connection.

A Guide to Passive House Design

Learn what Passive House means and why it matters for homeowners and communities alike.
The vaulted ceiling exposed heavy-timber beams. painted matte black, providing a dramatic structural element. On the left two large black barn-style sliding doors on tracks offer a sleek, industrial way to transition between rooms. At the back of the room is a custom black floor-to-ceiling shelving unit provides storage and display space for ceramics and greenery, contrasting sharply with the crisp white walls.

A Guide to Third-Party Building Certifications

Options for independent verification of a high-performing buildings
Cowhorn Winery exterior view showing 3 different siding materials: cedar siding, cork siding, and pre-oxidized metal panel

Beyond Sustainable to Regenerative

How our regenerative buildings actively improve health, rather than just reduce harm
The home under construction with the windows and water resistant barrier stalled. The view is looking inside the home, through the front door.

A Road Map for Your Design Build Project

What to expect when working with Green Hammer
Looking from the shared courtyard at Tillamook Row with views of the three story homes with private balconies.

What Is a Zero Energy Building?

Zero energy buildings reduce energy use, lower operating costs and create healthier indoor environments

Design

Take a closer look at the design decisions that balance beauty, performance and sustainability. From Passive House design to finishes to material selection, we explore the considerations that go into every decision.
Looking from the shared courtyard at Tillamook Row with views of the three story homes with private balconies.

Green Hammer Achieves Carbon Neutrality Across Current Projects

By meeting the 2030 Challenge, we’re helping prove carbon-neutral buildings are possible today, not just an aspiration for 2030.

Meet Our Co-Directors of Design

Architects Laura Squillace and Jon Lundstrom share their hopes for the future of Green Hammer’s design practice.
exterior siding crafted from fire-salvaged wood

Rooted in Place: The Wallowa Retreat Nears Completion

This home is built on a five-acre parcel that has been thoughtfully stewarded by the homeowners’ family for generations.
Children entering the New Day School which has bright orange siding and a coral trim. The building is constructed in a craftsman style which reflects the character of the neighborhood.

Client Stories: New Day School

After a deep renovation, New Day became Oregon’s first Net Zero Energy-certified preschool
A rendering depicting the proposed expansion of Prismid Sanctuary, a community-driven arts facility and urban retreat in the St. Johns neighborhood of North Portland, Oregon. The facility is designed to be highly sustainable, featuring extensive rooftop solar panels and a super-insulated building envelope. The rendering shows low-profile buildings with natural wood cladding and large windows, designed to harmonize with the surrounding forest and landscape. The buildings are arranged around a central green space, which is intended to serve as a hub for community gatherings, storytelling, and outdoor performances.

Project Spotlight: Prismid Sanctuary

An artist community and regenerative space designed to nurture Indigenous, Black and people of color in Portland’s St. John’s community
Priest Lake Cabin living room with a generous window wall with views to the lake and a high clerestory window to the upper right of the frame. The dining room is to the right in this image.

Our Design-Forward Philosophy

We design for people, places and experiences that engage all our senses and capture our imaginations.

Materials

Every design decision is an opportunity to protect and restore the environment. Discover how we choose sustainable materials, ranging from responsibly harvested wood to healthy, low-VOC finishes.
Aerial photo of an addition in Portland's West Hills

From Forest to Framing: An Addition Rooted in Place

Locally sourced wood and Japanese-inspired details tie old and new together.
a bright interior view with a table and countertop

A Guide to Improving Indoor Air Quality

Key strategies for new construction and major renovations to support healthier indoor air and better building performance
A close-up detali image of a corner joint with dark wood cladding and a blue metal cap

Sourcing Healthy Building Materials

At Green Hammer, we believe every material choice matters.
A rendering depicts a modern, high-performance home designed for a sloped, forested hillside. The primary structure features a prominent steeply gabled roof, similar to a modern A-frame. This shape is not only aesthetically striking but also highly efficient for managing snow and rain in the Pacific Northwest. The home is clad in vertical wood siding, which helps the structure blend naturally into its wooded surroundings.

Building With Purpose: Embedding ‘Good Wood’ Into the Wallowa Retreat

Make sure you have the right materials
Learn more about ways we incorporate sustainability into our company, projects and events.
Looking from the shared courtyard at Tillamook Row with views of the three story homes with private balconies.

Green Hammer Achieves Carbon Neutrality Across Current Projects

By meeting the 2030 Challenge, we’re helping prove carbon-neutral buildings are possible today, not just an aspiration for 2030.

Love Languages at Work: Building Stronger Connections Is Key to a Great Workplace

While it’s usually used for personal relationships, we’ve found the five Love Languages™ map surprisingly well onto how we work.
A view looking up the road to the east with a great view of the mass plywood panels from under the roof and the cedar cladding around the rainwater cistern.

Client Stories: RoseVilla’s ROSE Port Pilot

This zero energy, earthquake-ready carport at is a scalable model for community resilience.
Cowhorn Vineyard and Garden side entrance with cork siding and pre-oxidized and stabilized metal panel siding

Client Stories: Cowhorn Vineyard & Gardens

The world’s first tasting room to achieve Living Building certification
Willamette Heights House exterior, featuring cedar shake siding, craftsman detailing, and high performance Zola windows

Client Stories: Willamette Heights Craftsman

Two green hammer team members working out details on the job site.

Sustainable Homes Professional Training: Skills for the Future

The training program, taught in part by Green Hammer, offers guidance for building high-performing homes.

Resources

Check out our curated collection of resources, ranging from how to become B Corp certified to seasonal tips for spring cleaning.
Cowhorn Vineyard and Garden side entrance with cork siding and pre-oxidized and stabilized metal panel siding

How to Make Mindful Material Selections

Every choice is an opportunity to reduce our impact and create healthier homes, communities and ecosystems.
Foundation Replacement and Basement Remodel

How to Tackle a Foundation Replacement

We helped our clients transform their unfinished basement into a comfortable, more resilient living space.
The Green Hammer and RoseVilla project team posing under the car port.

Why We Became a Certified B Corp (and Why It Matters)

We are proud to be part of a global movement of businesses using their power to create positive impact.
Richmond residence's front entry with stairs leading up to the front porch. The building highlights a combination of light wood siding and darker roof and complimentary siding. A large photovoltaic array is visible from this view of the roof.

Going Solar: Tips for Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Investments

Priest Lake Cabin living room with a generous window wall with views to the lake and a high clerestory window to the upper right of the frame. The dining room is to the right in this image.

10 Tips for a Healthier, More Efficient Home This Summer

The Green Hammer project team standing infront of the blower door test setup, celebrating a low blower door score.

Blower Door Tests: What Do They Reveal About Your Home?

Learn more about this tool for understanding how airtight a building is
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