The Big green Greenhouse Design Competition attracted submissions from around the world for a project to be located in Snohomish County, Washington.  SnoLeaf Branch Collaborative of Cascadia Green Building Council announced the top three winning designs at The International Living Future un-Conference in Seattle May 15th.

1st Place THE LOOPER -Team members: Agustina Soler, Alan Averill, Amie Sell, Bill Jackson, Bryant Yee, Daun Jung,Ian Marcus, Mark Palmer, Jeramy Yoon, Jocelyn Hoppe, Patrick KeeneyThe Looper challenges the idea of a greenhouse and leverages one very simple concept: the growing of plants inherently cleans an ecosystem. To do this, The Looper repurposes an existing river barge into a greenhouse which collects, uses, filters, and returns water to the river in a remediated state – a loop. At the heart of the vessel is a “living machine” that distributes filtered river water to an aquaponics system growing both plants and fish. As the greenhouse barge moves along the river, it is able to restore water and habitat, serve multiple communities with access to fresh produce, and act as a floating classroom for an ecologically abundant future.

2nd Place The [NPK] house – Team members: Pat Lando, Pete Muñoz , Marc Boucher-Colbert The [NPK]house design is a unique culmination of proven technologies (solar, compost and heating) and ‘natural building’ greenhouse designs developed over the past 30 years from Rutgers University, The New Alchemy and rural China. The integrated systems have been advanced with the use of modern equipment, facilities and cutting-edge production methods. The goal of [NPK]house is to achieve an extended 3-season harvest with in-ground plantings that meet the living building challenge.  The [NPK]house crops are tailored to meet the seasonal thermal fluctuations of the greenhouse by raising lettuces and low-growing crops in winter, which stay close to the warm soil. During spring, summer and fall, more of the volume of the structure can be filled by hanging baskets, and vining crops planted in the upper bed and living wall to make maximum use of all planting areas.

3rd Place GROWING POSTAL- Team members: Joseph Swain, Jesse Belknap
Growing Postal is a proposed joint venture between the USPS and a local Food Bank Farm (FBF). The FBF will utilize extra post office space for its greenhouse, freed by the downsizing of postal operations, thereby preventing the USPS from giving up a potentially historic building and cornerstone of Main Street. The USPS will provide food delivery to the FBF clients though its existing door-to-door mail delivery service. The partnership will provide the USPS with revenue from leasing some of its space, as well as fees for delivering weekly FBF food packages.  Historically, the USPS has experimented with delivering fresh food to doorsteps directly from farms. Mail trucks in the 1910s did just this in its Farm-to-Table program. Today, with the demand for fresh, locally grown produce and more empty space in mail trucks, this model could be realized again.

The winning designs will be on display at International Living Future unConference at the Westin in Seattle May 15, 16 and 17th, Celebration of Food Festival (Lynwood Convention Center) May 19th, Everett, Snohomish and Everett Mall Farmers Markets throughout the summer, and at Sorticulture at Legion Park June 7th, 8th and 9th.

SnoLeaf Branch Collaborative will host events with Tulalip, PCL Construction, Cedar Grove Compost, Silicon Energy, Goldfinch Bros. Dykeman Architects, Food Bank Farms and others organizations throughout the upcoming year. All events will use the winning Greenhouse Designs to inspire and educate Snohomish County and its community on sustainable design and building practices as well as sustainable food growing. SnoLeaf Bran Collaborative will also be actively looking for a site in Snohomish County to build a greenhouse.  If interested in contributing or hosting an event please send info to snoleaf@cascadiagbc.org.

For Greenhouse Design Competition interviews please call Fawn Clark 425.280.9569 or email at snoleaf@cascadiagbc.org

For further information about the International Living Institute and Cascadia Green Building Council, please visit www.living-future.org or contact nicholas.hartrich@living-future.org

Jurors summery click here

Registration Now Closed – Submital Due March 31st. Good Luck to all!

SnoLEAF of Cascadia Washington Branch Collaborative of the Green Build Council, partners with Snohomish County, in the first of its kind, Green – Greenhouse Design Competition.

The Grand Prize is $7,500. The winning design will be displayed during the Living Future Conference in Seattle May 15 thru 17th 2013 which is estimated to draw thousands of visitors from around the world.

Become a Sponsor and Support SnoLEAF click here

Deadline to register for the Big “Green” Greenhouse Design Competition has been extended to February 28, 2013!

SnoLEAF of Cascadia Washington Branch Collaborative of the Green Build Council, partners with Snohomish County, in the first of its kind, Green – Greenhouse Design Competition.

The Grand Prize is $7,500. The winning design will be displayed during the Living Future Conference in Seattle May 15 thru 17th 2013 which is estimated to draw thousands of visitors from around the world.

click here to find out more about the Greenhouse Design Competition, and how to get registered before the deadline.

Sustainable architecture and landscape design are taking a giant step forward at Phipps. The new Center for Sustainable Landscapes will be one of the world’s first certified living buildings, a model of sustainability for architects, scientists, planners and anyone interested in living greener. click here to view their website.

Phipps’ dynamic new center for education, research and administration will generate all of its own energy and capture and treat all of its own water on site, meeting or exceeding the three highest green standards—the Living Building Challenge; LEED® Platinum and SITES Certification for landscapes—and is expected to be the first building in the world to achieve them.

What: A design competition calling for original greenhouse designs that meet the needs of food growers in the North Puget Sound bio region and meet the Living Building Challenge. Our design criterion establishes that the greenhouse be modular, adaptable and accessible, strictly following the criteria set by *“The Living Building Challenge. The size and types of spaces within the green house will include, but not be limited to, planting areas, growing areas, loading and unloading, restrooms and meeting space. Food grown benefits the community, food growers and Food Bank Farms.

Who: Who’s eligible: Greenhouse operators and designers worldwide – professionals and students.

Prize: Cash Prizes $7,500 first prize $3,500 second place $1,500 3rd place

How: Registered teams and individual will conceive and design a greenhouse under the “program guidelines”. (see here: http://living-future.org/cascadia/snoleaf)

Judging Criteria: Greenhouse Design will be measured by how well the design meets the Living Building Challenge, and how it enhances crop production and the needs of a food growers and food bank farms in the North Puget Sound Bioregion.

Big “green” Greenhouse Competition click here to register today!

SnoLEAF draws upon the principles established by Cascadia Green Building Council, the SnoLEAF Mission further identifies opportunities in the North Puget Sound bioregion to promote sustainability, while acting as a catalyst to educate, empower, and encourage our community to take action.

Join SnoLEAF in celebrating the announcement of BIG GREEN –GREENHOUSE DESIGN COMPETITION!! 

SnoLEAF of Cascadia Green Building Council has partnered with Snohomish County in the first of its kind Green-Greenhouse Design Competition. Grand prize is $7,500. The winning design will be announced at the Living Future Conference in Seattle on May 15-17.

Design criterion strictly follows those set by the Living Building Challenge using net zero energy, water and waste. The Living Building Challenge is a green building certification program that defines the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment possible. The size and types of spaces within the greenhouse will include planting areas, growing areas, loading and unloading, restrooms and meeting space.

Phase one of the competition opens Nov. 16. Registration and design packets will be available at snoleaf.org. Competition ends March 31, 2013. A panel of judges will review submissions to determine the winning design. Second place will receive $3,500 and third place will receive $1,500.

SnoLEAF of Cascadia Green Build Council partners with Snohomish County, in the first of its kind, Green – Greenhouse Design Competition. The Grand Prize is $7,500. The winning design will be announced at the Living Future Conference in Seattle May 15 thru 17th 2013 which is estimated to draw thousands of visitors from around the world.

The Competition reaches out to the most innovative designers, thinkers and creative leaders in the Puget Sound region thru professional trade associations, Universities, Colleges, local chapters of AIA, environmental groups and high schools to meet this challenge.  New sustainable Greenhouse designs and ideas will help food growers throughout our region not only meet the growing demand for fresh, locally grown produce by enhancing and extending growing seasons, it will also  educate the community and its leaders on innovative “green building” technologies and ideals.

Design criterion, strictly follows those set by “The Living Building Challenge” using net zero energy, water and waste. The Living Building Challenge is a green building certification program that defines the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment possible today and acts to diminish the gap between current limits and ideal solutions.  Projects that achieve this level of performance can claim to be the ‘greenest’ anywhere in the world, and will serve as role models for others that follow.
The size and types of spaces within the greenhouse will include, but not be limited to, planting areas, growing areas, loading and unloading, restrooms and meeting space.

Phase One of the competition opens Saturday, November 24th, 2012. Registration and Design packets will be available at Snoleaf.org. It will be posted on Living Futures and Cascadia, a member of USGBC websites.

Competition ends March 31, 2013. A distinguished, diverse panel of judges will review submissions to determine the winners. The winning design will be announced at the Living Future Conference in Seattle May 15 thru 17, 2013. Prizes are $7,500 for 1st Place, $3,500 for 2nd Place, and $1,500 for 3rd Place.

Phase Two, if a site is selected, and the partners and sponsors decide to construct the greenhouse, will commence with construction in Summer/Fall of 2013. Food grown benefits the community, food growers and Food Bank Farms.