Green & Main (3)

LEEDing by Example

After assembling a team of experts, Halfhill spent five years studying the Sherman Hill site, researching the neighborhood, and hammering out a plan.

In the evenings he wrote grant proposals describing not just sustainable design (including a green roof, rain wall and rain garden, geothermal heating and cooling, passive solar and natural ventilation, the latest water collection and filtration technologies) but also a state-of-the-art classroom.

The refurbished building with a renewed connection to the neighborhood (its first tenant will be a birth and wellness center) would welcome visitors to tour and learn.

Green & Main, when complete, would demonstrate best practices in every green discipline — site impact, energy efficiency, resource management, water conservation, and indoor air quality.

“When this is finished, we can leverage the success of this project nationally and help position Iowa as a leader,” says Halfhill.

Indigo Dawn broke ground in September 2010 amid a heavy downpour — a fitting scenario for a renovation project heavily defined by water management.

(Read more Green & Main)