The Greening of Southie closely follows the design and construction of a 12-story, fiercely modern green condo in the heart of South Boston, a neighborhood known for resistance to change. Indeed, many of the construction workers roll their eyes at the unusual specifications. The developer is trying to earn a gold certificate for LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design), but some of the hard hats just want to get the lead out and get on with their work. Others are intrigued by the new ideas.
Directed by Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis (of the revealing documentary King Corn), The Greening of Southie is interesting as a step-by-step depiction of erecting a fully green structure. The cement foundation is made from local sand and stone. As much as possible, waste is recycled, not hauled to a landfill. At the touch of a button, the toilets can flush with more or less water and the heat and air is re-circulated. Bamboo (actually a grass, not a tree) is the renewable source for the floorboards. Especially interesting is the process for installing a green roof covered in succulent, hard cousins of the humble cactus and requiring no attention from the owners.
Not everything works according to plan. The kitchen cabinets of wheat dust have the proclivity to expand with the humidity. And on a note of pathos, one of the construction workers wishes he could one day live in this condo with his family, but doubts it will ever be possible. Right now, going green on this scale is the privilege of the rich.
