Oregon BEST hires green building expert

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Johana Brickman

The Oregon Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies Center, also known as Oregon BEST, announced Tuesday the hire of of experienced green building architect Johanna Brickman.

Brickman comes to Oregon BEST from Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects where she spent the last nine years working up to the position of associate partner and director of sustainability. Brickman is on the board of the Cascadia Region Green Building Council and will take over as that organization's chairwoman next month. She is also a founding board member of the Voice for Oregon Innovation and Sustainability, a professional organization that launched late last year.

“Having Johanna on our team is helping Oregon BEST achieve our mission of commercializing Oregon’s green building and renewable energy research into new technologies, products, and jobs that drive our state’s growing green economy,” said David Kenney, president and executive director of Oregon BEST, in a news release.

Brickman's first order of business is to coordinate efforts of Oregon's researchers to refine the proposal for the Oregon Sustainability Center, a planned net-zero energy high-rise. The research agenda associated with the project, which is somewhat controversial due to its projected cost, will focus on the Living Building Challenge which requires net-zero energy and water systems design, locally sourced materials and other factors.

Oregon BEST was established by the Oregon Legislature in 2007 to leverage research funding at Oregon universities including Oregon Institute of Technology, Oregon State University, Portland State University, the University of Oregon, as well as private businesses, government agencies and non-governmental organizations.

Brickman is the center's third full-time employee.