Chartreuse: Bright Green Research

Mission:
Chartreuse is a research institute dedicated to identifying and developing sustainable building materials using the resources of the northern plains.

Chartreuse is...
... a research resource;
... an online resource for design professionals, developers, homeowners, and other green initiatives providing information on material concepts, regionally available products, case studies, and local events;
... a community resource providing advocacy and outreach; and
... an educational resource for community learners and students through hands-on workshops and seminars.

Chartreuse will accomplish its mission by...
... supplying the design and development communities with a plethora of sustainable materials knowledge;
... encouraging green building education among young designers;
... building momentum for community advocacy and outreach with affordable and healthy design solutions; and
... demolishing the negative stigma associated with natural building techniques;

Chartreuse will measure it’s success by...
... increasing the number of locally harvested and manufactured green products in the northern plains;
... increasing the number of sustainable buildings incorporating natural building methods in the Sioux Falls Metropolitan Area and larger northern plains area; and
... acting as a model for other communities seeking to develop green initiatives that research regionally available building materials and concepts.

Principle 1: We Are Optimistic, We Are Bright
Chartreuse is bright green. We look forward to a brighter future. We believe whole-heartedly we can find ways to make better buildings. We aim to use them in a way that makes the built environment better, more livable, more enjoyable, and more sustainable.

Principle 2: We Do Not Discriminate
Chartreuse is leafy and electric green. We investigate natural building practices and are advocates of technological innovation. We want to know what works.

Principle 3: We Seek Ideas and We Share
We want to know what ideas are out there and what has not been thought of. We want to learn, and then we want to share that information with you.

Principle 4: We Like to Help
We want to be involved with helping our community prosper. We want to communicate and educate. We want to lend a helping hand.

Principle 5: We Are Inclusive
We believe that partnerships are imperative to success. Only by working together can we make a difference in making positive impacts on our community, our region, and our earth.

Principle 6: We Are Local
We try to keep things local, or at least regional. Why bring products across the globe when they are available, or could be available, in our backyard? We support local green product production: making green building products makes jobs, makes happy people, and makes a healthy community.

Principle 7: We Are Green
We practice what we preach. We live and work to reduce our negative impact on the environment while designing and identifying positive impacts. We expect the same dedication from our sponsors and partners.

The environmental movement is a diverse coalition...

While all green initiatives, programs, and personal partakers generally aim to preserve and improve the environment, there are often fundamental differences in the values and actions of each entity. Alex Steffen, Executive Director of World Changing, an online media organization, divides the environmental movement into three categories or shades of green: “light,” “dark,” and “bright greens.”

“Light greens” are typically advocates for change at the personal level. They believe that if each individual took small steps to be more sustainable, such as using reusable bags and recycling, the affects will snowball into larger transformations.

“Dark greens,” on the other side of the green spectrum, envision a return to the landscape, a reduction in consumerism, and a radical change in industry at the level of the community and public policy. They tend to be the gloomers and doomers of the movement.

“Bright greens” look to the future, a bright future. They strive to develop social and technological innovation that will make a sustainable future that is prosperous, one that has more to offer. A future that is not prosperous will not succeed. Bright greens look for ways to make non-sustainable systems, not only healthier for the environment, but also able to increase the quality of life for the user. Bright greens are positive thinkers, innovators, designers, and doers:

“if we’re going to save the planet, we’re going to do it by creating a future people want more than the one we’ve got now. We don’t need more protests, we need more products. We don’t need more investigations, we need more innovations. And we don’t need more apocalyptic rantings, we need visions of a future worth fighting for."

-Alex Steffen, World Changing

Board:

Stacey L. McMahan, AIA, LEED AP
Eric Schuler, LEED AP
Michael Heisler, M.D., MPH

Executive Director:

Whitney A. Parks

Chartreuse is a 501(c)3 organization that is funded and supported solely by donations received from the public. Chartreuse is proud to recognize those that have given graciously to help us complete our mission.

Founding Sponsor:
Koch Hazard Architects

If you would like to support Chartreuse through a tax-deductible donation you may send your donation to:

Chartreuse
431 North Phillips Avenue
Suite 200
Sioux Falls, SD
57104-5933