Jayda Karsten
above, from left to right: the office environment of DIRTT, aluminum recycling bin, aluminum extrusions below: the DIRTT wind turbine
Smed claims that MDF panels can be reused forever (or at the very least recycled). When asked if strawboard composite (a more eco-friendly product) could be used, he said it lacked long-term structural integrity and was not cost effective. I suppose the merits of a re-usable, MDF panel with many lives, avoiding conventional one-time drywall use is a better solution, but I see no reason why strawboard suppliers can’t experiment more to develop a product as good as or better than MDF in durability and price. For industry and business to actively engage in sustainable practices, they must positively reflect on the bottom line – providing greenbacks in addition to being cool green . 1 DIRTT is more profitable than Smed’s previous wall system business without sacrificing product quality or the environment. The number of employees compared to the size of the company is efficient, thereby reducing building footprint, associated operating costs and CO 2 emissions. Some 150 employees work from their home offices further reducing the need for more in-house, on-site offices – being tethered to an expensive facility with too much space and energy consumption is the situation that survivalist green companies are locked into. On the roof of DIRTT is the largest solar array in Calgary plus a wind turbine; electricity offsets are directed to the office grid.The plant has a white roof, another green initiative as it reflects light and heat energy away from the building reducing the need for air conditioning. There appears to be a genuine company policy to ‘walk the walk’ and lead by example in its own everyday business affairs. This is not just greenwashing but greenworking. Will this leadership role have any impact on other competitors or on clients? Will an office in 2020 comprised of 2011 DIRTT walls still be viable for reuse and still compete aesthetically against future systems? Right now, it does look positive. n
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1 Terms used by urban planner Andrés Duany to describe the four reasons why people join the green movement;‘greenbacks’ meaning economic benefits,‘cool green’ being the cool factor, ‘ethical green’ when one is morally compelled and ‘survivalist’, a reactive resilience to environmental change. June 17, 2011 public lecture, ‘Agricultural Retention’, Glenbow Museum, Calgary.
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