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| August 4, 2006
Building for the future BY TANYA HENRY
In the green-building/healthy-homes arena, Christi Graham is one of those people. For over a decade Graham, who describes her interest in the field as “innate,” has been working tirelessly to bring awareness to folks about how to live in healthy and sustainable homes. And the way she is doing it is unique. Tucked away on the side of a hill in a quaint Tudor-style building in Mill Valley, Graham manages not one, but two different businesses out of a sunny, well-ventilated office. A pile of shoes greets you at the entrance to her upstairs office and once up the final set of stairs you reach the headquarters of Healthy Home Plans and West Coast Green. As founder and president of Healthy Home Plans, Graham has created a source for healthy and sustainable home plans that are designed by award-winning architects. Essentially, she re-sells plans or blueprints for homes that meet her company’s criteria for healthy at a price far below that of what an architect would charge for his or her services. “Generally the model is win-win, as the architect receives a new revenue stream [the plans aren’t sitting in a drawer collecting dust], and a home builder now has the opportunity to build a green, healthy home that has already been put to the test—why re-invent the wheel,” says Graham, who adds that occasionally the concept is met with resistance from architects. Considering that as many as 13 of these professionals from across the country are offering up their plans, it would appear the resistance is nominal. “We try to remove all of the obstacles—we want living spaces to be absolutely healthy and nurturing for people on the planet,” explains Graham; she says the company spells it all out in a 70-page guidebook of green building that it offers to its clients. This handbook, titled Healthy Construction Guidelines, helps homeowners select the healthiest and highest quality materials available for their homes. But the thing that gets Graham really excited right now is her all-consuming effort to produce what she expects to be the biggest ever of its kind—West Coast Green—a three-day conference and expo slated for the end of September. As founder of the Green Resource Center in Berkeley and producer of the Bay Area Green Materials Showcase, a forum for design professionals to learn about new green materials on the market, Graham is clearly up to the challenge. “I knew when the mayor of San Francisco offered the Bill Graham Auditorium for this event, that it was an opportunity to really escalate the [green] movement.” As many as 6,000 folks are expected to attend and hear presentations on the latest developments, insights and inspiration in the industry. Over 250 exhibitors will be showcasing the latest in resource-efficiency among an array of green and healthy building products. Although this conference is primarily for the residential building community, one full day is dedicated to “Homeowner’s Day,” which will offer the the public full access to the trade show with special presentations geared to their interests. “I hope to cast our home and lifestyle choices in an evolutionary light, stirring our deepest appetite for positive change. I want us to see ourselves as powerful change agents each time we make a healthy choice, and to walk away from this conference excited to be alive, filled with a sense of possibility,” says Graham excitedly. Ultimately, it takes a groundswell of support to propel an industry into the public eye. More often than not, the countless movements afoot, all with well meaning folks trying to get their messages out, lack a visionary or leader who doesn’t alienate the organization with his or her overzealous determination or fear-based dogma. Graham defies these exemplars by a long shot. Instead, her positive, collaborative efforts are evident by her widespread affiliations. For the first time in its 50-year history the Pacific Coast Building Conference will incorporate green throughout its 2006 conference. Graham even played an important role in the United Nation’s historic World Environment Day by offering a memorable keynote green building address that commemorated the 60th anniversary of the United Nations. The green building field is fortunate to have such a vibrant force at its helm. And even if it is because the planets have aligned just so, or, as they say, the timing is just right, Graham deserves a good deal of credit for taking this burgeoning industry to the next level. For more information, check out www.westcoastgreen.com or www.healthyhomeplans.com. PHOTO BY ROBERT VENTE: Despite what that naysaying frog thinks, it IS easy being green, says Christi Graham, pictured above. |
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Whenever a movement gains critical mass or suddenly seems to appear on everyone’s radar overnight, quite often we hear, “Well, the timing was finally right.” Although there is truth in that statement, more often than not this recognition comes only after years and years of hard work by people who have dedicated themselves to something they believe in.  |
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