West Coast Green Early Adopter’s Workshop Interview

Bruce Millard, Principle of Studio of Sustainable Design in Sandpoint, Idaho

Past President of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild

www.bemarchitect.com

What inspired or caused you to get involved in green building?

The first phase was in the early1970’s, which I saw as political and social activism. I call this my “solar phase” because of the rise in consciousness and focus around solar energy. The second phase was in the mid 1990’s and was a more holistic regeneration of the early 70’s attitude - re-examining my own attitudes of health, finding out what was missing from the earlier phase, and closing the circle. This is when I got involved in healthy interiors and solid wall systems and how they work in our climate.

2 or 3 examples of what do you do to keep you on your edge?

1. Striving to live one life, not two. I do this by continually re-evaluating how to work within my personal philosophies and relating them to my clients’.
2. Tapping into organizations such as the Guild (Northwest EcoBuilding Guild) and Cascadia (USGBC Chapter) to keep in touch with what is going on.
3. Pushing the envelope on systems design rather than waiting for government regulation.

What are the next steps for you to get to the next level?

Being involved in more community and multi-family projects; getting out of the “single family on a big lot” mentality. Creating places for community seeds to grow, places that work for people to share.

What feelings come up for you when you think of these steps

It makes me very energized and incredibly hopeful, even when looking at major problems. Thinking and talking about these keeps me going.

What are a couple of success stories of bringing along your network to their next level

1. A demonstration green home in Spokane (SNAP) that was visited by hundreds of people during the course of construction and changed the perception of affordable housing.
2. Being president of the Guild for six years and the opportunity for guiding and teaching from that position.
3. Community project in Sandpoint, Idaho that people keep writing and talking about. It is very rewarding to see how it has affected lives in my community.

If you were to describe your network as a metaphor that comes to mind...what would it be…

A collective spirit – a group consciousness that just when you need something, it shows up … a non-defined element that is always with you and appears when you need it most.

Next steps in working with your network in helping & inspiring them to the next level

Be an example - live it, do it, be excited about it.  I am going to be acting as a local green living advisor to the mayor. Actually I am in transition right now, waiting to see where the networks are going and where to best put my energy.

Which ones are you most drawn to?

Networking with the mayor, because working locally rather than regionally seems like the best thing to do right now.

Resources you’d suggest

Environmental Building News, The Last Straw, Green Builder magazine, Natural Home magazine, and of course the Guild and its members.

Anything else you’d like to tell me that I haven’t asked

We need to coordinate all the Green organizations in the Pacific Northwest, and create a web of knowledge so we all can see what others are doing.