When Tami Reilly of Vancouver was recruited to manage a new self-storage facility last year, she took on the challenge with gusto. Her goal became to make the business as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible. It would seem she has achieved a mission-accomplished status, but undeniably deserves some credit for her ingenuity in the process.

According to an article in the Vancouver Courier, Reilly, a marketing consultant, was hired to cultivate a fledgling portable-storage business by the facility's owner, who had hired Reilly initially to determine the viability of such a project. Her vision became the inspiration for Vancouver Self-Storage, an unconventional approach to self-storage that appeals equally to customers and the environment.

Although not well-versed in green construction methods, Reilly thoroughly researched the options. The end product features outdoor vegetable gardens, bird shelter, and an office pieced together by connecting two shipping containers together. Adding double-glazed windows that receive southern exposure, dual-flush toilets, bamboo cupboards and countertops, and skylights for additional natural light turned the office into a welcoming, comfortable work space.

Vancouver Self-Storage continues to attract business and build on its success. However, should portable-storage needs ever wane, Reilly already has a built-in exit plan that leaves little scarring on the property. "Because there's no construction, there's zero impact on the environment," she says. "If the land is ever reclaimed, all you'd have to do is move the containers."

While we doubt that will ever happen, Reilly's penchant for green building is so applaudable, we think she deserves a gold medal for creativity and commitment to operating a self-storage business that befriends eco-friendly best practices too.