Nathan Good Architects

Some of the unique qualities to Vana and Mike’s home include:

-the first use of Durisol’s Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF), a fiber-cement block, in Portland for the south’s single story portion to the home
-an innovative strapped-wall system (proposed by the home’s builder, David Heslam, formerly with Coho Construction and now with Earth Advantage) to increase the depth of the wet-spray cellulose insulation and add to the thermal breaks of the wood-frame structure
-radiant-heated earthen floors, which were featured in the February 9^th, 2007 issue of the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/08/garden/08dirt.html?ex=1328590800&en=aa3bd499058c4308&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss) with Sukita, the talented installer (www.sukita.com).
-a vegetative roof for stormwater management and heat-island reduction, that includes a roof garden for their herbs
-a swing in the kitchen (it’s a long, but good, story)
-the extensive use of salvaged materials: cabinets, doors, tile, plumbing fixtures, etc.
-a courtyard and roof terrace for private outdoor living
-an “away room” off the greatroom that doubles as a guestroom and solarium
-approval from the City of Portland to build a new home without off-street parking, a garage, or driveway (The successful pitch: it takes the equivalent of two on-street parking spaces to create a single lane of driveway for off-street parking.)
-the purchase of green power and carbon off-sets as an alternative approach to reaching a carbon-neutral home, rather than on-site renewable energy

To learn more about Mike and Vana and their home, check out one of the following publications:

The Portland DJC article, “Home Built”, August 2^nd, 2006: http://djcoregon.com/news/2006/08/02/home-built/

The Oregonian article, “Structural Integrity”, June 8^th, 2007:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/homesandgardens/2007/06/sustainability_expert_mike_obr.html

My wife and I have been invited to spend this weekend with former clients and current friends, Vana and Mike O’Brien, in their new Portland home. It’s always a treat for me to be invited to visit my client’s homes after they have moved in, and an extra honor to be an overnight guest. Such a visit approaches an ideal post-occupancy evaluation.

Mike is one of Portland’s green building treasures. His fingerprints can be found on dozens, if not hundreds, of the green homes, offices, and institutional buildings throughout the Portland area. In the early 1990’s Mike, and his former business partner, Debbi Allen, spearheaded the creation of the HERE Today Home (Healthy, Energy-efficient, Resourceful, Environmentally-responsible), along with architect and builder Greg Acker. Mike had an active hand in the creation of Portland General Electric’s “Earth Smart” residential and commercial green building certification programs (which morphed into Earth Advantage), one of the first of its kind in the US and a predecessor to LEED. Few people are aware that Mike was one of the creators of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s (NEEA) “Better Bricks” program prior to moving on to become the City of Portland’s in-house green building guru.

Vana is a fantastic actress. Portland theatergoers are fortunate to have her presence on their stages. Though Vana has acting in her blood (parents, sister, brother, and her children), she’s one of the most grounded and genuine people you’ll meet. That may be one of the reasons why she is known as a talented marriage and family counselor through her own Portland office. It was a treat for me to discover that her father was Van Heflin, one of my childhood favorites from the movie “Shane”. On Sunday, we will have the opportunity to see her perform in “Design for Living” at the Portland Repertoire Theater.

Through their own aspirations, Vana and Mike’s home is as unique as they are.