Ticket proceeds from this year's Coptix Xmas party, INHABIT, will go towards building a Habitat for Humanity home off Main Street for Baja Dalla and his family (see Update at bottom). Mr. Dalla, a Sudanese refugee, moved his family of four to Chattanooga two years ago. Since that time, the Dalla family has lived in a one-bedroom apartment while Mr. Dalla studies to become a doctor. (See TFP for an excellent profile.) Now, with the help of Habitat for Humanity, local business, and your donations, the Dalla family will cut the ribbon for their new home off Main Street, immediately following the MAINx24 parade on Saturday. The Dalla home has the distinction of being the first LEED-certified Habitat house in Scenic City.
Collier Construction, a LEED accredited builder, has spent the last month working alongside Habitat for Humanity, Eastman Construction, and Artech Design Group to make sure the Dalla home meets the strenuous qualifications of the USGBC. On top of leading the construction efforts, Collier Construction is also paying for LEED certification of the home. Throughout the project, Collier has assisted with construction while training carpenters and tradesmen from Habitat and Eastman on sustainable building practices. Techniques such as advanced framing, stormwater management, and air sealing are the bread & butter of LEED construction. And Collier Construction hopes that sharing some if its "trade secrets" with other builders will help promote more energy-efficient construction projects in the area. Ethan Collier:
I'd rather see other construction companies building green and Collier lose that advantage than for other companies continue to build the way we've been building for the last 40 years. Building green is more important to me than just our business strategy.
Collier Construction plans to expand on the Dalla build for future non-profit ventures as well. As the community's most prominent green construction firm, Collier Construction is working on several initiatives to donate labor, materials, and money to area high school projects. And the company plans to expand its website into a public resource for existing homeowners in the near-future. Ethan Collier sees the Habitat House as a jumping off point for new community-oriented green building projects:
The main reason Collier is helping build the Southside Habitat House is that building green is the right thing to do. When you are dealing with low-income families, it is all the more critical that the home we give them has lower operational costs (i.e. utility bills, maintenance and repairs).
The result is a win-win-win for the community. The Dalla family gets a new energy-efficient home from which to build their lives. Habitat for Humanity and Eastman Construction get hands on experience with sustainable building practices. And a new Chattanooga home will be less of a strain on energy resources. You can tour the Dalla home on Saturday. A press conference will kick off the opening at 1PM on the corner of Market and Main.
UPDATE: Josiah Roe informed that proceeds from INHABIT will go towards Habitat for Humanity. The Dalla home has already been paid for. My B.
David Morton
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