Biz Spotlights
Green Business Spotlight: LSW Architects
Located in downtown Vancouver, LSW Architects is an architectural firm that prioritizes sustainability, health, and safety in every project they do. Some of their projects include Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School, Gaiser Hall at Clark College, and the Witherspoon and Sons Building. After a green team was formed to identify successes and shortcomings in their sustainability practices, LSW Architects decided to certify as a Clark County Green Business in 2016. Today, the LSW Green Team is still very active as they have about 12 members who meet regularly to discuss new projects.
Although LSW employees are working from home these days, they still have a lot of projects in the works. They are currently working on procuring more sustainable products to use around their office and in their building projects. The firm usually hosts "Lunch and Learns" in which vendors come in to pitch their products and materials. The green team figured that they could improve on these events by developing specific sustainability criteria the vendors must meet to participate. They are looking forward to applying their new criteria when they are back in their office.
Before the pandemic, the green team had also been focusing on improving their recycling efforts. They created more messaging around proper recycling for their firm and the other tenants in their building. They also started a battery collection and hope more folks will participate in the future.
In addition, LSW Architects is participating in the 2030 Challenge, a global challenge that architectural firms and others in the building community can participate in. The goal of this challenge is to design and create new buildings, developments, and renovations that are all carbon-neutral by 2030. Currently, the team is looking at the energy use in their building projects and identifying areas in which they can reduce it.
Moving forward, the LSW Green Team is excited to continue working on these new projects and find more ways to reduce their environmental impact. To learn more about sustainability at LSW Architects, visit their website.
Solid waste regional planning and programs are a cooperative effort of Battle Ground, Camas, Clark County, La Center, Ridgefield, Vancouver, Washougal, and Yacolt.
