Waynedale Green Alliance Interviews Jeff Echols: What is Green? What is Sustainable?

There are a great many individuals jumping onto the green bandwagon. However, those individuals and organizations that come together to make a real difference in their local communities are making the most significant impact.

Citizens like Jeff Echols.

Jeff Echols was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and spent the majority of his growing up years in the Chicago area. He graduated from the Ball State University´s College of Architecture and Planning. He and his wife then moved to the historical Irvington area of Indianapolis, Indiana and have been there for thirteen years.

Thirteen years that have made a noteworthy impression on Irvington. As a member of the Irvington Development Project, Jeff Echols has brought his passion, skills, and knowledge to the effort.

The Waynedale Green Alliance has been involved in an effort to bring environmental awareness to their own community, and it became one of my pleasures to talk to Echols about his beliefs on the green movement, green building and what he sees as the contrast between ´green´ and ´sustainable´ pursuits.

ABS) Tell us a little bit about your background, where born, education, work life, interests?

JE) I´m originally from Atlanta, Georgia though I´ve lived most of my life in the Chicago area. I graduated from Ball State University´s College of Architecture and Planning. My wife and I moved from Chicago to Irvington, in Indianapolis, a couple of years later. That was 13 years ago.

I work for HAUS – The Architecture Studio (www.haus-arch.com) and WERK - Construction Managers (www.werk-build.com) (sister companies). HAUS is a collaborative architectural studio leading the design + construction process to realize unique, creative and significant architecture, interiors and sites.

WERK is an Architect-Led construction firm delivering integrated Design + Build services to protect our clients´ investment in design. In short, through HAUS and WERK we provide complete design and construction services to our clients for a diverse list of project types.

I also run Renovation Resources (www.renovation-resources.com), an independent consultancy that provides Homeowners with the most important resources necessary to have a successful home renovation. Through Renovation Resources I also blog (www.renovation-resources.blogspot.com) about a variety of renovation related topics in an effort to educate, inspire, inform and motivate homeowners wherever they are in the Renovation process.

I work with the Irvington Green Initiative, in an effort to implement a vision of a sustainable, historic, urban neighborhood in Indianapolis.

I´m on the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis Green Building Committee (www.indygreenbuild.com).

ABS) What experiences led you to go into your line your work? Specific experience or persons that influenced you?

JE) Both of my parents are from Southern, farming families so I grew up around wonderful examples of rural architecture as well as the stereotypical "Scarlett O'Hara" antebellum architecture. One set of grandparents lived in one of the oldest homes in their county. There's a refreshing honesty in agrarian architecture.

When my dad was transferred to Chicago, we moved to the land of Frank Lloyd Wright. My mom has always been an active and curious learner so, as a kid, we went on all of the Wright tours. At one point, I lived five blocks from Unity Temple in Oak Park.

I suppose building is in my blood. I have a number of cousins, aunts and uncles who are or were engineers. A couple of my uncles have owned or been in leadership roles within construction companies. Another uncle was a national officer in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and several more have also been in the industry in various roles. With the exception of a short stint in a sporting goods store and nights with UPS during college, every job I've ever held has been creative- or construction-related.

ABS) What sparked your interest in the ´green movement´? And do you see it as a movement?

JE) Yes, I think that you´d have to say that "green" as we talk about it is a movement. There are a couple of points though that I think a majority of people miss when it comes to the topic of "green."

The first is the distinction between and relationship between "green" and "sustainable." Many people, myself included sometimes, use the two terms interchangeably. But, especially the way we talk about it today, there is a difference.

I read an article recently that explained it pretty well. The author took the approach of looking at products; what products are "green" and are they also "sustainable?" The example that I liked was the iPod. I love my iPod. Is it a green product? In theory, it reduces the number of CD´s manufactured, packaged, boxed up, shipped, sold in big box stores, etc. I´d say yes, it is a green product. Is it a sustainable product? It is manufactured in a region that is famous for horrific environmental standards, under who knows what kind of labor practices, of materials that are so noxious that many cannot even be recycled. I´d say that the iPod is definitely not a sustainable product.

The second point that I think many people don´t have a good handle on is related to the "green" and "sustainable" discussion. Although many "green products" are very new and many more are coming into the market place every day, "sustainable" architecture and building is not new at all.

In fact, sustainable building practices are the oldest, most natural forms of construction. It may seem counterintuitive but in a very real way, the "green movement" is more of a correction, to use a financial market term, or coming back to our senses than some great breakthrough.

But this line of thinking has some major implications. We have to understand that as we design and build our new green homes, offices, schools, churches, etc. that just by using bamboo flooring and tankless water heaters we are not necessarily producing projects which are sustainable.

Most good practitioners of "green" or "sustainable" design and building understand that there is a holistic approach that must be taken. You cannot address energy efficiency and create a completely "tight" building envelope without also addressing indoor air quality. If you do, you´ll end up with a very "sick" building not to mention its occupants. In a similar vein, there are a number of builders in our market and others that are building homes that they are heavily marketing as being "green." These are, for the most part, well-built projects with many of the latest, most advanced "green" technologies and products available.

They are also monstrous, million-dollar estates. If these homes are truly "green" are they also sustainable? I would argue "no." Ideas such as those presented by Sarah Susanka in her "Not So Big House" series of writings are just as much a part of the equation as spray foam insulation.

The bottom line for me is that sustainability, by its very definition is a necessity. I am intensely interested in designing and building sustainably because the starting point for truly green and sustainable projects is good design and planning.

ABS) How did you become involved in the Irvington Development Project?

JE) When the Irvington Development Organization created the Irvington Green Initiative, one of the many goals was to create a system to recognize homeowners, businesses, congregations and schools that were incorporating green into their daily operations.

One of the partners at HAUS is a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional) and I´m a Certified Green Professional. So, we´re immersed in both the LEED and NAHB rating systems. Since the IGI´s goals for a recognition program seemed to follow a similar bent, it was a natural fit; somewhere that I could use my experience and expertise to make a difference in our community.

ABS) What resources did you bring together to develop the Irvington Development Project?

JE) I´m one of 4 working on the Recognition program so the only thing that I can really take credit for are my own insights gained through my experience at HAUS, WERK, Renovation Resources and the Green Building Committee. My ties to the design and building industry allow me to bring the knowledge of products and technologies, best practices and national rating systems to the discussion.

ABS) In your personal opinion, what type of organizations do you feel have the most impact on the single citizens´ lifestyle? Large organizations or grassroots movements? And why?

JE) Both types of organizations have their place. Large ones are effective because they have the clout and visibility to inform and educate the masses. But I think grassroots movements have more potential to make a lasting impact on a person´s lifestyle.

If someone becomes involved with an organization, like the Irvington Green Initiative for instance, not only are they receiving information and finding education opportunities, but they are also entering a support network. Every time that I attend an IGI meeting, I hear about what the people working on the recycling program are doing, and learn about plans for upcoming community bike rides or commuting groups, or what the next film for the film series is.

I´m continually fed information that others posses but I don´t, in areas that I´ve never been involved with before. I think just being there and hearing what´s going on provides encouragement to branch out and do some "green" things that you haven´t been doing. Involvement like this naturally creeps into your lifestyle.

ABS) What books would you suggest a newbie to greener living read in order to become familiar in a global sense with the environment.

JE) I´ve been reading more magazines and blogs lately than books. There are a million sources out there but, as always, you have to be careful what you believe. Some of the films that IGI has featured in our film series have been excellent as well. Some are:

Magazines: Ecohome, Green Builder, Plenty Magazine

Blogs / Websites: Treehugger (www.treehugger.com), Building Green (www.buildinggreen.com), 100K House (http://100khouse.com), Greener Buildings (www.greenerbuildings.com), Homeowner´s Blog (www.catskillhouse.us/blog), The Green Home Guide (www.greenhomeguide.org)

Movies: Kilowatt Ours, An Inconvenient Truth, Super Size Me

ABS) What is your vision of a greener world-in the broadest sense?

JE) First, we have to think about sustainability. There is a balance that we must maintain in order to truly be sustainable whether you´re talking about building or alternative energy or recycling or any other green issue that you can come up with. Some reference The Three P´s (people, planet, profit) or Triple Bottom Line (economic, social, environmental) but whatever you want to call it, in order to be sustainable our efforts need to balance economic constraints, social concerns and environmental impact. But we have to be willing to make sacrifices. We cannot continue with the status quo. We have to spend a little more, care a little more and be a little more diligent in our efforts.

ABS) Taking it down a couple notches; If you were speaking one-to-one with someone who was not convinced that greener living was a necessity -what would be your chief argument in order to convince them to ´go green´?

JE) I think that I would start by asking two questions: What do you enjoy most in life? What is your biggest complaint right now?

Inevitably the answer to at least one of those questions is going to lead to the best argument. "Going green" is so broad. It has to do with health, the economy, the environment, education; the list is endless.

ABS) What is the best case scenario for a community to go green.

JE) There is obviously a lot of momentum behind the green movement right now. That´s going to continue and increase for the foreseeable future. Much of this revolves around our petroleum based economy. Fuel prices affect everything from our wallet at the gas pump to the price of produce to the cost of building materials, and therefore housing prices, to the mood of the nation.

There´ve been a number of stories in the news lately about municipalities and corporations going to 4 day work weeks.

No government, whether led by Republicans or Democrats is going to be able to implement the type of far-reaching policy changes that are needed to correct our course in the near future.

Going back to your earlier question, I believe it is the grass-roots, community organizations that can make the biggest impact. The changes that we need are not really policy changes anyway. They are lifestyle changes. You and I need to change the way we eat, the way we get to and from work and the store, what we buy, where our waste goes, and how we use resources. By getting a group of like-minded individuals together within your community to take the initiative of change you can affect that. As usual, gather 10 people together and they will have 10 different versions of what it is to be "green." And that´s ok. Set goals and agendas and support the diversity of interests and begin to spread your message.