What is green building? For Berkeley green design/build firm owner Connie McCullah, green building is, “Achieving the future you want by building an improved and healthier present. Like everything important, it all starts at home.”

When put into practice, this means combining daylighting and a balanced ventilation system with formaldehyde-free wood products and insulation, as well as using non-toxic, low-volitile-organic-compound (low-VOC) paints and finishes to lessen the release of harmful gases into the living space. Connie’s interest in green building stems from a belief that “It’s about setting higher standards, improving housing and the general quality of living. Our responsibility as the contractor is to help clients understand how to live in these new spaces, how it is affecting them, and what benefit it is giving them. It is really fun watching people change how they think about their space. For example, after installing solar panels, many of our clients will understand themselves to be in a new relationship with the sun.”

As well as co-owning and managing the green design/build firm Odin’s Hammer with her husband Denis, Connie is also on the board of Berkeley’s green resource center Build-It-Green, where she has helped build a series of councils and guilds to educate all facets of the community, from contractors and building inspectors to public utility municipalities about the benefits of using green design in new spaces. She has also recently co-written a green construction curriculum with Alameda County Waste Management Authority for builders and contractors seeking green alternatives to conventional construction products and practices.

For more on Odin’s Hammer and contact info for obtaining the green construction manual, please visit www.ohgreen.com (new website launching in early March). And for the newcomer to green design, Connie suggests checking out the valuable resources from Berkeley’s Build-it-Green at www.builditgreen.org.