SUSTAINABLE BREW

From 1856 to 1999, the Blitz-Weinhard brewery anchored the southern end of Portland Oregon’s Pearl District, a former industrial enclave that has become a chic urban neighborhood of galleries and restaurants. Now, the five city blocks are being redeveloped as a high-density, mass-transit-oriented mix of office, retail, and residential architecture, all boasting LEED-rated sustainable materials, construction methods and design. Next week Brian Libby will explain how historic and sustainable have come together.

HOPES SPRING ETERNAL

Almost 15 years ago, an architecture student at the University of Oregon, decided to learn more about how to make architecture sustainable. He organized a conference he called "HOPES," or Holistic Options for Planet Earth Sustainability. Since then, it has become a respected annual forum for students and professionals. Next week science reporter Nancy Novitski will outline this year's event, which included a presentation about straw bale construction in a squatter village in Portland. (Photo by Mark Lakeman)