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Portland鈥檚 sixth annual Sustainable Building Week, set for Oct. 9-14, will focus on equity and sustainability. Professionals in building design, engineering, construction, advocacy, planning, consulting, and policy will gather at different events intended to foster projects that produce buildings and environments that are healthier for the planet and sensitive to historically marginalized populations.

Terry Campbell and Webly Bowles started Sustainable Building Week as a platform for like-minded experts to learn about the work being done outside of their fields. They sought to raise awareness of the importance of sustainability in the building industry. The idea is to bring people together for collaboration. Sustainable Building Week facilitates conversations that perhaps would not have occurred without face-to-face opportunities.

There will be 25 events this year, including a few that people can attend virtually.

This year, Sustainable Building Week coincides with the National Organization of Minority Architects鈥� (NOMA) national conference in Portland on Oct. 11-15. The local chapter, NOMA PDX, will cohost a Sustainable Building Week event with Room For More, a Portland-based collective for minority professionals.

In 2023, Sustainable Building Week will be about bringing more voices to the table and acknowledging that the sustainable building industry has not served everyone, spokeswoman Amanda Ingmire said. It was important, she said, to ensure that groups like Room For More would be involved.

Room for More includes diverse professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering and construction from firms in the Portland area. The collective aims to contribute to the effort聽to increase and support diversity and equity in the industry.

Room for More holds monthly meetings, showcases student voices and provides mentorship programs. The group most recently spotlighted a renovation of Parrott Creek Child and Family Services鈥� space in Southeast Portland. Trauma-informed design principles were applied, and high sustainability goals were pursued.

鈥淐limate justice really affects those who are left behind by design, meaning those who are deeply impacted are those who are part of those marginalized communities,鈥� said Ed Herrera, a Room For More member and a BRIC Architecture senior associate.

Room For More and NOMA will hold a public open house from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 11, at the PAE Living Building, 151 S.W. First Ave., Suite 300, in Portland. The event will bring together diverse professionals and advocates representing architecture, engineering, construction and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) education.聽Attendees will be able to connect with Room for More, NOMA, ELSO and others. ELSO works with disadvantaged K-12 students and helps them enter STEAM fields.

鈥淲e have to have more diverse representation in the STEAM fields,鈥� said Ruwan Jayaweera, a PAE principal and a Room For More co-founder.

Room For More hopes people who attend NOMA鈥檚 conference will attend Sustainable Building Week events, Jayaweera said. He also hopes the PAE Living Building tour will help inspire attendees to design more sustainably. People can register for the event at .

Other events include ZERO Coalition amplifying Black vision in the sustainable building industry, recaps of recent legislative wins, and tours of buildings and landscapes.

鈥淛ust the fact that the timing is lining up with the NOMA conference and with all these other amazing events happening, there鈥檚 a lot of excitement this year around how many people are going to be in Portland talking about these issues,鈥� Ingmire said.

Around 1,500 people attended Sustainable Building Week last year. Organizers expect approximately 2,000 people to attend this year.

To register for Sustainable Building Week events, visit .