There's a little green house on 15th Street that has suddenly re-appeared, after years of being hidden behind bushes and beneath blackberry vines.

On Tuesday, the house was alive with the sound of laughing students, the grind of a floor sander, and the steady metallic thwack of a shovel against dirt in the front yard.

The 1920s-era house was purchased by Oregon State University last fall, and is in the process of being transformed into the new Student Sustainability Center, which will serve as an educational and social space for students and community members in the same way that cultural centers and places such as the Women's Center and the Pride Center function.

In 2006, the Student Sustainability Initiative was created as part of a move by OSU recycling coordinator Justin Fleming to reduce the campus' negative ecological impact, and to manage student fees dedicated to sustainability.

Fleming said SSI offers a chance to create student internships, jobs and volunteer opportunities, and that the house gives the projects a focal point, and a center for education, networking and socializing.

"Some of the most meaningful interactions are on a more social level," he said.

The group has five paid employees and between 10 and 20 volunteers.

"We're hoping that will grow now that we have a real home," said Andrea Norris, a senior in fish and wildlife science at OSU, and student recycling coordinator on campus.

The group has been struggling with a lack of space. "We're in a tiny cubicle inside of the property services building," Norris said.

The property was in questionable shape when the students took over in early June. Extensive interior work is on-going, ranging from tearing down walls and removing non-supporting beams to removing aging carpet and refinishing the home's original hardwood floors. Each step of the way, the students are trying to make their work environmentally friendly, from using less toxic paint to avoiding pesticides on the yard.

Tackling all the overgrown weeds without using toxic chemicals has been a challenge. "I have a lot more respect for organic gardeners now because it's been hard," said Shayna Rogers, the outdoor enhancement coordinator for SSI.

Because the organization is funded by student fees, the work is slow, depending on donations of material and volunteer labor, and some of the projects will be left for future years.

The center will not just be open to students interested in environmental issues, but to community members as well, and will offer meeting space, a library, and educational programs.

"It's such an exciting time to do something like this," Rogers said. "We're in the right place at the right time."

The students hope the center raises awareness that sustainability is not just a celebrity pet cause, but a practical way to become less of a burden on the environment.

"You don't have to be Leonardo di Caprio to lead a sustainable life," Rogers said.