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A contractor and an architecture firm tied to Portland recently received national recognition for contributions to the Karuna House project in Newberg.

Hammer & Hand, which has offices in Portland and Seattle, and Portland-based Holst Architecture were on the Karuna House project team that earlier this month earned a Beyond Green Merit Award during Building Innovation 2015: the National Institute of Building Sciences annual conference and expo in Washington, D.C. The award, one of four given by the institute’s Sustainable Buildings Industry Council, recognized the home as a superior example of high-performance green building.

The $2.4 million Karuna House was completed in 2013, and has received several green building certifications, including Earth Advantage platinum, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum and Passive House. The Beyond Green awards jury praised the project team for providing valuable lessons to the industry by pursuing several green building certifications.

Portland-based Imagine Energy, a solar, heating and air conditioning company, was also recognized as a member of the Karuna House project team.

The Bullitt Center in Seattle received the top prize in the high-performance buildings competition. – Inka Bajandas