Jordan Hoogendam says he cares about the environment because he cares about people. “There are millions of people in this world who are suffering because of how we treat the earth. Aid to those people is important, but it isn’t always sustainable. Long-term sustainability requires a balance between social, economic and environmental issues. My work allows me to foster ideas and develop systems that are sustainable on all of these levels.”

As a green building project manager, Jordan works for Enermodal Engineering Ltd. in Kitchener, Ontario, the only firm of its kind in the Canadian province that is entirely dedicated to green building. He helps builders, architects, engineers and owners to develop and ensure their structures are environmentally-friendly.

“We’re careful about using the word sustainable because a lot of these buildings aren’t sustainable yet. They’re not net zero in terms of energy use. To be truly sustainable they would have to purify the water they use, generate their own energy, and have no detrimental impact on the environment. What we are involved in is finding incrementally better solutions.”

Looking at site and land use, energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor environmental quality and material selections, Jordan first finds ways to help his clients minimize their building’s environmental footprint. Then he investigates whether the building can help generate energy as well. “For every dollar you put into energy conservation,” he says, “you have to put 10 into generation.” Similar correlations exist between water conservation and purification.

Jordan began his work in sustainable design while a student at Calvin. For his senior engineering project, Jordan, with a team of three other students, designed and installed the photovoltaic roof for the Vincent and Helen Bunker Interpretive Center at Calvin’s ecosystem preserve.

The Bunker Center, which now boasts a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold-rating from the U.S. Green Building Council, generates approximately 60 percent of the buildings electrical energy use. “I was able to receive crucial and extraordinary experience at Calvin. The issues I deal with on a day-to-day basis are interdisciplinary, and the solutions require a broad-based perspective.

“I believe we have been given a mandate to be good stewards of the earth and our resources. I know we can’t change overnight—but improving the energy and resource efficiency of buildings is at least a first step on the way to much bigger changes. We need to envision moving toward true sustainability, to a restorative approach to living within creation.”

Jordan Hoogendam
Kitchener, ON
Calvin College B.S. Eng. ’04
Green Building Project Manager
Enermodal Engineering Ltd.