EARLY ADOPTER’S INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

JIM BARGER

Greenleaf Construction

www.greenleafconstruction.com

WHAT INSPIRED OR CAUSED YOU TO GET INVOLVED IN GREEN BUILDING AND HOW MANY YEARS AGO WAS THAT

BACK AROUND 2002 WE REFINISHED A WOOD FLOOR USING SWEDISH OIL.  I HAD A REACTION THAT LASTED ALMOST NINE MONTHS.   I THOUGHT, ‘ I DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS TO MY CLIENTS, LET ALONE MYSELF.”  DURING THIS PERIOD I CAME ACROSS A CLASS ABOUT GREEN BUILDING AND REALIZED HOW MUCH SENSE IT MADE AND RESOLVED NOT TO BUILD AN MORE UNHEALTHY HOUSES.

GIVE 2 OR 3 EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU DO TO KEEP YOU ON YOUR EDGE

I ALWAYS TRY TO THINK OF WAYS TO CONTINUE TO DO THINGS BETTER.

WHEN I VISIT JOB SITES OR HOUSES, I AM ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO LESSEN THE OVERALL IMPACT ON THE HOME OWNER.  I REALIZE  WE HAVE NOT FOUND ALL THE ANSWERES YET, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE LOOKING AND KEEP TRYING TO IMPROVE

WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FOR YOU TO GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL

CONTINUE TO READ AND RESEARCH WHAT IS WORKING AND WHAT IS NOT.

FIND WAYS TO INCLUDE SUSTAINABLE AND HEALTHY HOME FEATURES WITH-IN  A SET BUDGET.  SOMETIMES THE ADDITIONAL COST FOR SOME OF THE FEATURES IS A HARD TRADE OFF DECISION FOR THE CLIENT.  WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THE CLIENT THE VALUE ADDED BY USING SUSTAINABLE FEATURES.

WHAT FEELINGS COME UP FOR YOU WHEN YOU THINK OF THES STEPS

IT IS MUSIC TO MY EARS. 

WHAT ARE A COUPLE OF SUCCESS STORIES OF BRINGING ALONG YOUR NETWORK TO THEIR NEXT LEVEL

THE ONE THAT COMES TO MIND FIRST  IS MEETING WITH A CLIENT AND HAVING THE FIRST QUESTION THEY ASKED ME BE: DISCRIBE THE RECYCLING PROCESS YOU WOULD USE IF WE CHOOSE YOU TO BUILD OUR HOUSE.  I KNEW THIS WAS THE RIGHT CLIENT FOR THE HOUSE AND THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP EDUCATE AS WELLAS JUST BUILD A HOME.  I BELIEVE THESE EDUCATION MOMENTS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.

THIS SAME CLIENT DECIDED NOT TO BUILD A GARAGE IN ORDER TO REDUCE THEIR OVERALL FOOTPRINT, THIS SAID A LOT ABOUT THEIR ECOLOGICAL CONSIOUSNESS

IF YOU WERE TO DESCRIBLE YOUR NETWORK AS A METAPHOR,THAT COMES TO MIND… WHAT WOULD IT BE…

COMMNITY AND GIVING A GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING.

YOUR NEXT STEPS IN WORKING WITH YOUR NETWORK IN HELPING AND INSPIRING THEM TO THE NEXT LEVEL

I WOULD LIKE TO  FIND A WAY TO CONTINE MENTORING OTHER BUILDERS THAT ARE JUST GETTING STARTED WITH SUSTAINABLE, HEALTHY HOME BUILDING.  THERE ARE A COUPLE OF US THAT MEET MONTHLY WITH OTHER BUILDERS AND SHARE IDEAS AND SUPPORT WHAT THEY ARE DOING.  I FIND THIS VERY REWARDING AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT DONE ON A ONE TO ONE SCALE MORE OFTEN.

ALSO, IT WOULD BE NICE TO FIND A WAY TO IMPROVE THE COMMUNITIES UNDERSTANDING AS TO THE VALUE ADDED FOR IMPROVING MATERIAL EFFICIENCY.  BY THIS I MEAN EDUCATE PEOPLE IN USING RECYCLED PRODUCTS, SALVAGED MATERIAL UNTIL IT BECOMES A WAY OF LIFE.

WHICH ONES ARE YOU MOST DRAWN TO?

I THINK WORKING WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS ON A ONE TO ONE BASIS OR IN SMALL GRUPS.

RESOURCES YOU WOULD SUGGEST

I THINK OUR ECO BUILDING GUILD IS A GOOD PLACE TO START.  I THINK WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB OF GETTING PEOPLE EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS AREA, BUT I DON’T CURRENTLY SEE THIS HAPPENING.  IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE SOME OF THE GROUPS SPONSOR COMPETITIONS OR CHALLENGES WHERE VARIOS BUILDERS OR MATERIAL SUPPLIERS GO HEAD TO HEAD AND HAVE CONSTRUCTION FACE OFFS.  THE PUBLIC COULD SEE WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN’T AND HAVE SOME FUN AT THE SAME TIME.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO TELL ME THAT I HAVEN’T ASKED

I AM STILL PASSIONATE ABOUT BUILDING HEALTHY SHELTERS AND ENJOY THE NEW CHALLENGES EACH ONE BRINGS.  WE HAVE COME A LONG WAYS BUT THERE IS STILL A LOT LEFT TO BE DONE

MAYBE WE COULD USE A MUSICAL THEME TUNE FOR GREEN BUIDLING THAT IS KIND OF CATCHIE & PEOPLE START TO INDENTIFY WITH THE EXICTEMENT AROUND GREEN BUILDING.