The story of FEMA trailers sickening Hurricane Katrina victims was largely overlooked amid the greater tragedy of the near total destruction of New Orleans. It should have come as no surprise.

Products such as plywood, MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) and flakeboard (or particleboard) are industry standards used in making furniture, cabinetry and casework.

Many contain formaldehyde, while others contain chemical cocktails that are released during the fabrication process. For months afterwards, these materials emit, or offgas, potentially harmful vapors.

As these materials are the most cost efficient, if not the safest, government contractors used them in construction of the trailers. If you think that is scandal worthy, you are right, but not for the reason you may think. Cabinets you buy at Lowe's and Home Depot are constructed of the very same stuff.

You will find these materials in homes from Church Hill to Wyndham. For years there weren't really many good alternatives to these products. Richmond can never lay claim to being on the cutting edge, particularly when it comes to environmental awareness.

Recently, I noticed construction on a building down the street from the palatial and stylish offices (you really have to see them) here at Richmond.com. But what really caught my interest was the addition of awnings to the front and side of the building. These awnings turned out to be solar panels.

There is also a skylight on the roof, and it's quite large, roughly 8 feet by 16 feet. This is to be the future home of EcoLogic, a retail provider of environmentally responsible products used primarily in remodeling of residential properties.

EcoLogic is the brainchild of Stephanie and Fred Ackermann. It says something about them both that what started as a passionate personal pursuit, concern for the environment and green building, became a business plan.  

A retail outlet was not the original plan, which was to pursue a company dedicated to green contracting. It turns out that Fred had long nursed a desire to be a general contractor. This coincided with his wife Stephanie's growing obsession with environmental concerns.

But as they researched the local availability of green products, they discovered there weren't many options.

As Stephanie recounted, "We realized pretty quickly that if we were going to do green contracting we were going to have to be the source for the materials. That's how EcoLogic was born."

Now that he is neck-deep in the project, Fred is much wiser about what being a contractor means, especially dealing with the Byzantine building codes emanating from City Hall.

It doesn't seem to have dampened his spirits any. On their blog, they cheerfully chart the progress of construction, which looks steady and impressive. The reality was much different. They had to take the building down to bare walls and beams inside.

It quickly became a much bigger project than they had imagined. And they had to sit and wait on such things as permits and inspections. They were also blindsided by skyrocketing prices for building materials, which increased substantially since the project began.

EcoLogic is partnering with Eco Supply Center, pioneer wholesalers of environmentally responsible building materials in Richmond. Eco Supply owner and furniture maker/designer Anthony Brozna will be selling his furniture in the EcoLogic showroom.

He also designed, and is in the process of building, the display kitchen for the store. Upon completion, EcoLogic will handle retail, while Eco Supply becomes strictly wholesale to the trade.

I asked Stephanie if she thought Richmond, a conservative town in terms of embracing contemporary design trends, was ready for the green revolution. She pointed out that the materials she is stocking are beautiful and will fit with even a more traditional style.

She believes the housing crisis might contain a hidden blessing for her store.

"Intuitively, our gut tells us that with the housing market the way it is, people want to fix up their homes," she said. "We are all becoming so much more aware of environmental issues. People are looking at ways to genuinely reduce their impact on the environment."

EcoLogic will stock flooring (bamboo, linoleum, cork, rubber, sustainable hardwoods, and salvaged hardwoods), low toxicity paints, fabric (organic cotton) and countertops (paperstone, soapstone, concrete and slate).

And they are partnering with a design firm, BluMarc, who will be on hand to help with interior design needs. Ackermann says she wants to provide turnkey service for customers, from design to installation.

EcoLogic will be using many local resources, which is a large, but often overlooked, component of environmental responsibility. Their sustainably harvested hardwoods come from Virginia and West Virginia; reclaimed hardwoods are also from local sources. An artisan in Ashland makes the concrete countertops, including some containing recycled glass.

Once the store is up and running, EcoLogic will host workshops and seminars. Stephanie explained, "My plan is to bring in experts in their field. It will be free to anyone who wants to attend. There will be big things like solar and small things like composting. There's a wide range of things you can do - some will save you money, and some are just things you should do."

Look for EcoLogic to open sometime in mid-August, with an opening party about a month after that.

Find the blog at ecologicthestore.com. The store is located at 1606 W. Main St.