“Sustainable” Building Design and Construction
The LEED standards and rating systems provide a very systematic and prescriptive path for the designer and builder to follow in order to achieve a “Green” building. However, Andersen is committed to taking the next step in truly understanding and implementing sustainability.

Andersen is a Founding Member of The Oregon Natural Step Network (Oregon Natural Step Construction Industry Group). The Natural Step Network is an international network of organizations constituted to accelerate the movement toward a sustainable society. The Natural Step views sustainability from a holistic perspective where Modern Technology, Human Society, and the Earth are a single system that must operate balance with each other. The systems analysis approach of the Natural Step provides a reasonable and logical formula to quantify the actions and steps needed implement sustainable design and construction practices. By following this process it allows for the setting of sustainability goals at the start of the project, rather than layering in “Green” building features that may have limited benefit and unnecessary costs.

Andersen is taking the fundamental tenets of the Natural Step and applying them to the construction process. It is our intention to take the LEED standards for design and construction to the next level of sustainability. We foresee using a practical and feasible manner to bridge the gap between where “Green Building” is today and the vision of the Natural Step for a Sustainable Society.