sustainable building materials & systems

Below is a small sampling of the thousands of building products that are eco-friendly while also providing exceptional design qualities and esthetics.

ehr-lüm's design and consulting services will help you through the vast maze of eco-products, helping select feasible options and identifying which products are truly green, and those that have simply been "green-washed" as a marketing strategy. 

The end result is a cohesive design including construction drawings, fabrication details, and material/color coordination.

bamboo 

The culm of the bamboo plant grows to heights of 80 feet and diameters of up to 8 inches. A date is etched into each bamboo stalk to indicate appropriate harvest time to maintain sustainability. The MOSO specie of bamboo specified by Teragren is harvested at 5-1/2 to 6 years for a more durable finished product and to ensure stability and clarity of color.

teragren.com

reclaimed lumber

Wood salvaged from old barns and other structures are rich with history and character. Recycling old barns is an environmentally friendly use of existing resources.  Antique wood is a true "exotic" - exquisitely crafted by nature and time.

Recycling old wood helps preserve the past for the enjoyment of future generations, while sparing old growth lumber from the axe.

thebarnpages.com

certified lumber

In many forests around the world, logging still contributes to habitat destruction, water pollution, displacement of indigenous peoples, and violence against people who work in the forest and the wildlife that dwells there. Many consumers of wood and paper, and many forest products companies believe that the link between logging and these negative impacts can be broken, and that forests can be managed and protected at the same time. Forest Stewardship Council certification is one way to improve the practice of forestry.

fscus.org

water reclamation & harvesting

There is no higher quality source of water available to us than rainwater. Unlike water captured in dams which requires an extensive treatment process to ensure a quality fit for human consumption, rainwater that is collected on roofs and stored appropriately represents a sustainable source of water ideal for use inside and outside the home.

By using rainwater for toilet flushing, laundry and garden use alone, it can reduce mains water requirements of a typical household by 70. If hot water systems are supplied with rain water, this reduction can be as high as 85%!

rainharvesting.com

recycled aluminum

Eleek, Inc. officially began in 2000 when designer/ patternmaker, Eric Kaster, and his marketing-savvy wife-to-be, Sattie Clark, scraped together their resources and rented a shop space in Portland's southeast industrial area. By that point, however, Eric had been working on his unique designs and skills for many years.

eleek.com

recycled glass tiles

ECOVERINGS is a line of eco-friendly design surface materials to qualify for LEED points in project certification as deemed by the United States Green Building Council

coveringsetc.com

carpet

Bentley Prince Street is the world's first commercial carpet maker to harness the power of the sun to manufacture carpet. Our grid-tiered solar system, comprised of 448 panels, converts energy from the sun's rays into electricity helping to support our needs. With the renewable energy supplied by the grid, the solar we produce, and the purchase of green tags, it adds up to 100% of our electricity coming from renewable sources.

bentleyprincestreet.com

paperstone

PaperStone is designed to give the beauty of stone, the strength of steel, with ease of workmanship. It is made of a 100% water based resin and post consumer recycled paper. "We are very committed to making the most environmentally friendly composites and resins in the world!" said Klippert.

kliptech.com