We are really excited to be working on this Minnesota Green Star project with the eco- focused firm Acacia Architecture.

We always consider the environmental implications of every single design and construction decision we make, and always have. We think it's crucial that we act responsibly, and this figures prominently into our definition of what a successful job is. Being able to follow Minnesota Green Star's strict code throughout our design without any extra effort was a great reward in this project!

One of our favorite elements to this job is the reclaimed lumber from a barn built in the 1800s, which we used for the support posts under the front entrance. Our design will follow from that point, and includes large plantings of native Minnesota grasses and sedges. Our intent is to create a sense of the formerly-abundant Oak savannas of the Midwest. We'll use large rough timbers that echo the reclaimed wood to create some geometry that brings the architecture down into the site and serves as a balancing point for the organic shapes of the prairie grasses.

We'll keep you posted on the progress of this project as it unfolds.

BTW - Even though ROLU co-founder Mike Brady is a long time vegan, we thought it was kinda cool that the General Contractor and his employees were cooking steaks on the job site for lunch (see last pic in series).