As green building becomes a common practice among Portland contractors, Morgan's experience will serve Schommer & Sons as well

Twenty-two buildings in Portland have achieved LEED status. And as knowledge among developers spreads, owners are beginning to demand more green building practices on construction sites.

"LEED is becoming not really an option for contractors in Portland," said Mike Williams, project manager for Green Building Services, which served as the Rocket's sustainable design consultants. "If you don't do it, you're not going to get an opportunity to bid on the project. "

Doing the homework

When Cavanaugh set out to build the Rocket, he didn't plan on applying for LEED status. He chose Schommer & Sons to build on the 40-foot-by-100-foot lot because of the company's reputation for excellent work on difficult sites, he said.

But about six months after hiring Schommer & Sons, while in the process of applying for building permits, Cavanaugh decided to go for a platinum designation, despite the contractor's inexperience with green building.