Chestnut is co-owner of the Center for Green Urbanism, a green building in Northeast Washington by Fort Mahan Park that rents space to small businesses.
Why was the center created? To be a business incubator for small-to-medium or family businesses. Here businesses can have an official address and an office where they can use the Internet. My husband and I started our own business in our home. We realized there are certain things you need for a business, so we decided to set up the basics. We provide fax machines, copiers, Wi-Fi and a common space for the businesses.
How is the building energy efficient? We have energy efficient windows, solar shading, water saving devices for our toilets and faucets, water filtration, compact fluorescent lighting and eco-friendly interior design.
Why is it important to be green? We are conscious of our carbon footprint and aware of the waste urban people produce. It’s important to recycle and save energy. We try to share information with the businesses in our building so they can implement it at home.
Why did you pick the location for the center? My husband and I have lived in the community for over 40 years. This was an old abandoned house, but we saw it had potential. It was an eyesore and we wanted to work on it to improve the community.
How can businesses reduce their carbon footprint? They can start by doing the simple things like turning off the lights, TVs and radios. There are window coverings that make it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter so businesses can reduce the use of their utilities. I also suggest them to use post-consumer waste paper for fax machines and printers.
– Kristen Byrne
