Toxic Free Building: for the Environment and Our Health

The intersection of health and the environment is core to Barbara and Bill Steele’s work as farmers and winegrowers in Southern Oregon.

Cowhorn vineyard, located just 45-minutes from Ashland & Medford, sits in the Applegate Valley in a place “teeming with wildlife.”

“When we started Cowhorn, our mission was to create a model for other farmers that could be economically viable,” said Barbara Steele of their biodynamic-certified vineyard and farm.

Cowhorn Vineyard’s recently completed a 2,200sf tasting room, patio and storage facility   responds to the connection between environment and health in a whole new way. After a rigorous three-year process, Cowhorn received recognition this May as the first winery in the world to receive Petal Certification in four areas–Materials, Site, Equity and Beauty–by the Living Building Challenge (LBC) from the International Living Future Institute.

The Steeles worked with Portland-based Green Hammer, a business member of OEC, to design and build the space.

Building an innovative new construction in a distant part of Southern Oregon provided its own surprises with talented, local craftspeople springing forward to help. Green Hammer source the majority of building materials from within 600 miles of the construction site or closer.

LBC Petal Certification measures a building’s impact on the environment in multiple ways. Each piece that went into creating the building, needed to demonstrate it had no known carcinogens, no red-listed items, no known toxic substances. Everything, from the pipes to the adhesives had to be considered. Green Hammer vetted more than 1,200 building materials to ensure they did not contain any toxic and bioaccumulative substances such as PVC, flame-retardants, bisphenol A (BPA) and heavy metals known to be harmful to human health and common in the building industry.

“To forge a positive future for the generations to come, we need property owners like Cowhorn to demonstrate that it’s possible to create healthy buildings without using toxic materials,” said Stephen Aiguier, founder and CEO of Green Hammer.

LBC Petal Certification is considered the world’s most progressive and rigorous standard for green buildings. Going above and beyond LEED certification, Living Buildings must meet a series of ambitious performance requirements over a minimum of 12 months.

This is only the fourth building in Oregon to receive such recognition.

“I know that this building is healthy. My employees talk about how there’s no scents, no dry nose,” said Barbara.

The tasting room, resting feet away from the vines and a view of the hills, also operates at a “net-positive” with air ducts that naturally recirculate, to balance temperature, taking air to cool during the day or stay warm at night. Every detail was considered, from recirculating steam in the dishwasher, to the cork finish on the exterior walls.

“It literally gives back,” said Barbara.

And for the Steeles, they know that by taking steps to build something good for not only the environment but the people working and visiting, they are informing yet another industry.

Their effort to obtain building materials, many sourced locally, that met the Petal requirements, encouraged manufacturers to make something that now that they can make for someone else. Plus, all of the materials used are now in a directory for others to access.

“That is transformative. That is REAL change,” said Barbara.

And so, continuing the cycle of creating innovative options that are good for our health, our environment and the people who live and work here in Oregon.

Find out more about the Living Building Challenge – LBC Petal Certification: Case Study on Cowhorn Vineyards

See a slideshow of the Steele’s tasting room:

Cowhorn Vineyards Success Story from Energy Trust of Oregon on Vimeo.

Business Membership with OEC

Become a forward-thinking business partner that shares our commitment to a healthy Oregon for generations to come.

Join OEC’s Business Community

 

Related Posts
Filter by
Post Page
Featured Toxics-Free Environments Toxic Free Priorities Environmental Health Media/PR/Statements Policy Water News Toxics in Water Series Living Green OEC News/Updates/Events Eco-Healthy Homes
Sort by

Huge Wins for Public Health! Oregon Lawmakers Act to Keep Toxic Chemicals Out of Cosmetics and Kids’ Products

In a resounding victory for the health and well-being of Oregonians, Oregon Environmental Council and coalition partners successfully advocated for the passage of two crucial environmental health bills in the 2023 legislative session.  Despite facing staunch opposition from the chemical industry, our coalition’s unwavering commitment and tenacity paid off, as we se
June 27, 2023, 2:46 pm
jamie-pang

9

PRESS RELEASE: Lawmakers and Environmental Health Advocates Call for the Passage of a Suite of Toxics Bills During National Public Health Week

#gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
April 4, 2023, 9:33 pm
mcadmin

9

Three kids playing in a sandbox

It’s National Public Health Week. Let’s tackle toxic chemicals!

This post was co-authored by Lisa Arkin, Executive Director, Beyond Toxics It’s National Public Health Week. Let’s tackle toxic chemicals! Every child deserves a safe environment to grow in that allows them to become strong and healthy and develop to their full potential. During National Public Health Week, it’s important to draw attention to the health
April 4, 2023, 8:47 pm
jamie-pang

9

Tell outdoor retailer REI to take toxic ‘forever chemicals’ out of their apparel!

From waterproof jackets to boots, outdoor gear sold at REI and other retailers like Columbia Sportswear contains ‘
September 15, 2022, 10:57 pm
jamie-pang

9

Modernizing the Toxic Free Kids Act

March 9, 2021, 7:26 pm
jamie-pang

9

Toxics Lurking in Our Water

Do you ever wonder what’s in your water? The water in our rivers and groundwater isn’t pure H2O. Every water source has different minerals and compounds. Many are harmless or even healthful, but others can be toxic to humans or aquatic life. Some harmful toxics are naturally occurring, like bacteria, arsenic and algae. Some aren’t supposed to be in the river but get washed off our streets and farms, like brake fluid, mercury, fertilizers and pesticides. And some are man-made syn
September 18, 2020, 7:43 pm
stacey

9

Show support for the Toxic Free Kids Act! Sign our petition, please!

Oregon’s Toxic Free Kids Act is a landmark consumer safety and children’s health law that was passed with bipartisan support in 2015. Since it passed, we’ve learned that hundreds of products – like pajamas, dolls, and underwear – contain chemicals scientifically linked to cancer and other se
January 31, 2020, 2:52 pm
jamie-pang

9

If Our Government Won’t Regulate Toxic Chemicals, It Is Up to Consumer Behavior and Retailers to Drive Change

New Report Reveals Top Retailers Making Major Chemical Safety Advances A new report released this week by Oregon Environmental Council’s partner Safer Chemicals Healthy Families reveals that many of our nation’s top retailers are vo
November 21, 2019, 10:03 pm
jamie-pang

9


No Replies to "Toxic Free Building: for the Environment and Our Health"