Oregon wrapped up its 2023 legislative session by passing two major climate change bills containing well over a dozen proposals to tackle greenhouse gas emissions across the state. One proposal in House Bill 3409 will mean big changes for commercial building owners in the coming years. The bill outlines the creation and implementation of a building performance standard (BPS) for existing commercial buildings, making Oregon the fourth state to adopt such a standard.

What comes to mind when you think of cork? From wine bottle tops and tack boards to flooring, cork is a popular material for a wide range of products in our daily lives. At Harka, we’re all about exploring the latest in sustainable and non-toxic materials. So, let’s talk about what cork siding can do for you.

We are excited to share that our office has been officially certified net zero energy by the Green Building Initiative’s (GBI) Green Globes Journey to Net Zero Energy (NZE) for New Construction!

Interior design trends come and go, so we are always thoughtful in our design execution to ensure our projects capture our clients’ vision, but also stand the test of time. However, making bold moves can be worth it, as long as the result brings joy, exuberance and uplifts the built environment. 

In this article, we will focus on strategies to control how daylight enters the building. Generally speaking, we want to filter light as it enters a building to maximize bright, ambient light suitable for the function of the space while also considering other factors, from energy efficiency to more subjective qualities such as how light moves throughout the day and interacts with textures and forms.

Our good friends at Sustainable NW Wood recently posted a blog highlighting their contribution to our office’s low-carbon, high-performance remodel.

To ring the new year, Portland experienced an unprecedented storm resulting in more than a week of wind, snow, ice, and record breaking temperatures. We are seeing extreme rain events causing mudslides and floods, and extreme heat and drought periods causing never before seen wildfires. It is not hard to image that what we call extreme weather now, we will eventually just call weather. How will we adapt? Well, one way will be through changing the way we build and adapt our shelters.

Portland General Electric (PGE) recently released their future plans to change the net metering policies in Oregon. Their draft proposal could have a major impact on all current and future solar owners in Oregon by slashing net metering credits for users who can’t afford battery storage.