Karen Rugg’s longtime interest in sustainability and the built environment led her to get a master’s degree in city and regional planning, focusing on real estate development and sustainable, affordable housing. She later transitioned into commercial construction and cofounded Perennial Building in 2018.
Karen’s latest project is a mixed-use building in downtown Sisters, Oregon, that uses hempcrete as a primary building material. Hempcrete is up to 70% more energy efficient than traditional materials. It’s a renewable and nontoxic material that sequesters carbon and is resistant to fire, insects and rot.