Motorists along Broadway may have noticed a bit of history going up alongside Grant Elementary School. Next to trailer classrooms, what appears to be an old-fashioned schoolhouse has been rising over the summer. Though the schoolhouse is reminiscent of the past, it is anything but outdated.

This quaint one-room schoolhouse is home to cutting edge technology in an environmentally friendly building. Dubbed the Eco Schoolhouse, it is a self-sustaining classroom that is energy-efficient and less harmful to the environment. More than that, those involved with the project see it as a symbol of change and inspiration for the Columbia community.

For Paula Elias, change is what she hopes to inspire through a documentary she and filmmakers Ken Leija and Avery and Lenore Danziger are creating.

The documentary, titled "Eco Schoolhouse" for now, began when Elias and Leija were asked to attend early planning meetings and to help promote the project as part of their ad agency, "Axiom - An Identity Company." They met Avery Danziger, who had been invited to the meeting by architect Nick Peckham, the ideas man behind the schoolhouse. Peckham had seen Danziger's award-winning documentary "Edward James: Builder of Dreams" and hoped Danziger would be interested in making a documentary about the schoolhouse, Danziger said.

Additionally, Peckham had hoped such a film would be shown at the U.S. Green Building Council meeting held in Boston this coming November, Danziger said.

The Danzigers and Axiom were both inspired by the project and wanted to help; and, because making a documentary would be a large project, they decided to co-produce the hour-long film.

"Producing and finishing a feature-length film in so short of a time period and with no immediate funding is a daunting task to say the least," Danziger said.

They hope to provide a film that will also work as a blueprint for other schools to create a similar eco-friendly classroom. Additionally, they hope to encourage the community to transition to more green lifestyles as well as provide an educational tool for students.

Building a Solution

The plan for the Eco Schoolhouse began when Peckham of Peckham and Wright Architects wanted to do something for the community to celebrate 30 years of business in Columbia. He also wanted to do something that would benefit children.

As they were discussing project ideas, Peckham heard of the trailer fire at Grant, where his granddaughter attended school. The school's need was a good fit for Peckham's desire for a community project.

The small amount of money the district received for the destroyed trailer didn't begin to cover the costs of building a self-sustaining classroom in its place. So Peckham began to recruit volunteers to donate nearly everything, including labor and building materials. Most volunteers were willing, if not exactly eager, to help.

"Everybody took a deep breath, or two or three deep breaths, maybe studied their shoestrings before saying yes," Peckham said.

He said about 90 percent of the schoolhouse's labor and materials have been donated.

"(This is) a $250,000 building on a $30,000 budget," said Scott Powell of Alpine Builders, the project's general contractor. "That doesn't happen every day."

As of now, the filmmakers have about 50 to 60 hours of footage. Throughout the summer, they have stopped by the construction site about two to three times a day to film, in addition to documenting meetings, announcements and other aspects of the process.

The team also hopes to include a sort of how-to in the film in the form of bonus features. The way, they ­- and most others involved in the project - see it, the Eco Schoolhouse is not just a classroom for Grant; it is for the community in hopes that it will teach about the importance of self-sustainability.

"This project is going to do more to teach people about green (technology) than any amount of advertising," Powell said.

As Peckham had hoped, the film will be completed by this November, when it will premiere at a meeting of the U.S. Green Building Council.

In addition to the premiere, Elias said there will "definitely" be a showing for the Columbia community. She said she also hopes to show it at the True/False Film Festival, which Axiom has been involved with for the past few years. Last year, they produced the promotional videos for the event.

Change for the future

For the filmmakers, the impact of working on the documentary has instilled a thirst for change in them.

Little by little, Leija and Elias are replacing the windows in their home with ones that are environmentally friendly. The windows, which work to better insulate the house and reduce energy costs, are helping the two reduce their carbon footprint.

The Danzigers have had their home used as a "test site" for Columbia's new "Energy Audit" program. The program provides a free evaluation of homes and businesses by reviewing habits, equipment and structures so that citizens are able to make informed decisions about how to best improve conservation efforts. The couple also will be applying for a low-interest loan from the city based on the audit's extensive recommendations to improve their aging house's energy conservation, Danziger said.

Change has extended to how Beverly Borduin, principal of Grant Elementary, thinks about operating her school. One of her first transitions toward the greening of Grant is eliminating the use in the cafeteria of Styrofoam trays, which she is working to replace with a more biodegradable and environmentally gentle substitute.

Also, Grant is working to increase recycling, adding plastic and glass to paper, which is already recycled.

Borduin is talking with teachers about other ways to become a more eco-friendly school - for example, how they can use less paper. Once school starts, the students of Grant will be included in the green conversations.

"The kids will be helping us think of how to reduce utilities (usage)," Borduin said. "They have to be a part of it."

For the students of Grant, the Eco Schoolhouse will be both a place in which they will learn and one that will teach. Most every component of the classroom has some sort of eco-friendly aspect that students can learn about.

"(There is a) beautiful energy about it," Borduin said. "That's the energy I feel when I go in it. (It's) going to be a learning opportunity."

Elias thinks that schools such as these are imperative changes for the youth of America. She thinks that if students grow up in a green environment, they will be able to better come up with a solution to the nation's growing energy crisis.

How the classroom is green

The walls and the ceiling, donated by Thermocore of Missouri, maintain the temperature of the classroom so well that there is little need for outside energy to heat and cool the structure. Recent energy estimates put the yearly cost to heat and cool the schoolhouse between a third and a fourth of the cost of heating and cooling a trailer, Danziger said.

These panels have a high R-value - a figure that measures heat resistance in insulation - estimated to be three times as energy-efficient as the neighboring trailers, said Mikey Mantle, office manager for Thermocore. The higher the R-value, the more energy-efficient something is. The Eco Schoolhouse's R-value is 28, whereas a trailer might have an R-value of nine.

Also, the building is engineered to eliminate drafts and air leakage, further helping its efficiency.

Additionally, the building is situated in such a way that sunlight can be transformed into energy to operate the classroom, due to solar panels. On the same side of the schoolhouse, there are fewer windows so that in warmer weather the room won't heat up as much, thus reducing the need for excessive air conditioning.

The floor of the schoolhouse showcases another green accomplishment. Originally, it was planned to be made out of bamboo, since bamboo quickly replenishes itself - growing up to three to four feet a day, making it the fastest growing woody plant. Now, the floor is corn-based and biodegradable, a nice nod to rural Missouri, said Elias.

The switch was made to a corn-based floor because it is more durable than bamboo. Also, the bamboo floors would have come from China, something that does not earn the building points toward Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

The corn-based flooring is similar to the vinyl-composition flooring that is often used, said Steve Schaefer of Dave Griggs' Flooring America, who was helping install the floor last week. The adhesive he's used to install the floor is also eco-friendly in that it is low on harmful odors generally found in traditional adhesive.

"It's fun to watch people able to be really flexible," Elias said. "It's not so competitive. Instead, it's really collaborative."

The building crew, which has been working for free all summer, is working double time to have the schoolhouse ready for students when school starts on Thursday, said Scott Powell, the project's general contractor.

"We are committed to getting Jennifer (Hartz, second-grade teacher) in here and the kids in this building one way or another," he said.

One element yet to be installed is the solar panels that will generate the energy needed to run the classroom.

Borduin said the community should be proud of the schoolhouse and the forward thinking it represents.

"It shows we are thinking of the future and of our children," she said.

Contrasting solutions

The starkest contrast the Eco Schoolhouse provides can be seen in its location. Standing beside the main building of 98-year-old Grant Elementary School, the classroom in all its eco-friendly glory is set among its eco-unfriendly counterparts: trailer classrooms.

"We all know (it's) not the best place to put our kids," Elias said. But, largely due to budget constraints, sometimes trailers are the only solution.

Additionally, unlike buildings, trailers depreciate with age. The moment a trailer is driven off the lot, it begins to decrease in value, Danziger said. "We're throwing trailers away after 20 years and losing out," he said.

Proof of the depreciation on Grant's trailers is evident in the amount of insurance money the district received after the trailer the Eco Schoolhouse is replacing burned down in December of last year. The trailer cost roughly $82,000, of which insurance paid $30,000, Borduin said. The trailer was more than 20 years old.

The Eco Schoolhouse will apply for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification in the fall, after the landscaping - which has to be done with plants that are native to Missouri - is completed, Peckham said.

The various teams involved in the Eco Schoolhouse project seem motivated to continuing to make Columbia green.

"I'm committed to keeping this going," Powell said. "(It's) the right thing to do, first and foremost." He added that the classroom is a way for the community to see how it can be done.

"It's a great way to bring awareness to the community," he said. "It's challenging and taxing, but overall I'm very thankful to be a part of this project. My hope is that we jump-start (similar projects) in mid-Missouri."

BY JENNIFER LEDBURY

THE LATEST ECO SCHOOL NEWS, FROM BUILDINGS CAN BE GREEN

EnergyStar has been a welcome guest in homes since the labeling for energy efficient appliances was approved by the government in 1992. Another label that might soon become commonplace in residences is LEED.

For years, architects and environmental designers have been creating 'green' buildings, schools, libraries and offices, that meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design criteria. Now those same innovative design principles are popping up in single family houses.

The latest trend is residential buildings with LEED certification. LEED, created by the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council, is a national third party certification program for environmentally responsible building. Overlook Clipper Mill, a new development of 38 semi detached houses in Baltimore, boasts the first private homes in Maryland to be LEED certified.

'This is really the cutting edge of housing,' says Overlook resident Robert Kan, a retired surgeon who moved into his new home in April.

By Nancy Taylor Robson

THE LATEST ECO HOMES NEWS, FROM BUILDINGS CAN BE GREEN

Labels: ECO BUILDINGS, ECO HOMES

Arriving at Arcosanti, an experimental eco city in central Arizona, I was acutely aware of my non greenness. I had spent the morning expelling carbon on my flight to Phoenix. My rental car was messy with empty soda bottles, a few plastic bags and a banana peel that I didn't plan to mulch. A piece of paper with directions had accidentally escaped through the car window, floating off toward a patch of spiky cactus. With this kind of resume, would Mother Earth's minions still let me inside?

'Hey, come join us,' a guy in a dress, belt and outsize personality beckoned. 'Have a beer.'

The Californian graphic artist was one of up to 80 residents living and working at Arcosanti, a pilot utopian community that champions sustainable living. After a long day of working on passive solar power, gardening and bread baking, the group was tossing back a few. And for me, after a long day of carbon emissions and gas guzzling, a mixer with outre environmentalists was much appreciated.

'Put your empties on the rebar before you leave,' advised one of the revelers. I slid my glass bottle onto a sharp piece of metal. See, I was already contributing to the environment.

Arcosanti was started in the 1970s by Italian architect Paolo Soleri, a spitfire who seeks an alternative to a car dominant, hyper consumerist society. With his so called urban laboratory, Soleri, 88, hopes to eliminate the automobile, promote frugality and create a functional metro center run on the Earth's resources: food from organic gardens, power from the sun, air conditioning from the shade, building materials from the natural surroundings.

Though still a work in progress, Arcosanti in theory offers residents the same amenities as, say, a Manhattanite: housing, commerce, culture and dining.

For the visitor, staying at Arcosanti is an opportunity to soak up the Sierra Club ideology within a 'Blade Runner' fantasy. While more mainstream eco resorts feature energy saving light bulbs, organic meals and save the sea turtle outings, Arcosanti goes deeper. It aims to change behavior through workshops, tours, conversations, hikes and happy hour with a man with gender bending style.

'Arcosanti is both a success and a failure. A failure in that it is less than what its founder had hoped it would be, yet an extraordinary success in that it is actually there, inhabited and changing people's lives,' said Susan Piedmont Palladino, a curator at Washington's National Building Museum who is organized an exhibit on green communities. 'Its greatest success has been its prescience in the field of architecture and the environment.'

I flew to Phoenix, then rented a car for the 65 mile drive to Arcosanti, yes, drive. Ironically, the only way to reach the eco city is by car.

Arcosanti was founded on the lofty concepts of 'arcology,' an elision of 'architecture' and 'ecology' that was coined by Soleri and reimagined by many science fiction writers. The movement envisions superstructures that provide commercial and residential space for the masses, but with minimal environmental impact. They are beehives made for people.

From Interstate 17, Arcosanti is invisible; however, as I neared the parking lot, its grand design became apparent: a hodgepodge of earth hued concrete buildings with large circular windows, bowing apses and artful detailing. It resembled a World War III bunker for a rich dilettante.

The property sits on 15 cactus strewn acres, a small wedge of the 860 acres owned by the non profit Cosanti Foundation, which also leases an adjacent 3,200 acres from the state. (The foundation raises funds through sales of Soleri's artwork, workshops and other endeavors.)

Despite its compactness, Arcosanti contains all the necessities of village life: a cafe, a bakery, an art gallery, apartments and dorms for residents and guests, gardens and greenhouses, a foundry, woodwork and ceramic studios, an amphitheater and a swimming pool, which overlooks a static tide of sand and rocks.

The residents I encountered were an interesting mix of workshoppers attending a weeks long program that teaches arcology and other eco and arty topics; interns who practice their trade in those specialties; and full-timers, who in many cases become long termers.

Some have lobbed the word 'commune' at Arcosanti; 'tightknit community' is a better description. Minutes after settling into my simple room with unobstructed desert views, I was invited to a party the next night. The theme was Rubik's Cube: Wear three of the cube's colors, and by the end of the night, you should be a solid. Clever, or Arcosantis Gone Wild. (I missed the fete but heard that the clothes started flying after midnight.)

Anna Greenberg, 23, who works in the foundry and the bakery, led our tour, a colorful guide in purple overalls, pink Crocs and a silver stud above her lip. At each building, she stopped to point out the innovative constructions and features. The heat from the foundry, for example, warms the apartments above. Evaporation from a moat encircling the amphitheater stage cools concertgoers. Olive trees salvaged from Phoenix produce shade and a Mediterranean flavor in meals.

'This is not the perfect arcology, but it's a place to experiment,' Greenberg said, admitting that the city is still on the grid, must order food from outside sources and is only about 5 percent complete. 'It is designed to human size; Phoenix is designed to car size.'

How true: For the next 48 hours, I wouldn't even start up my rental.

Before you park the car, a field trip is advised. During his younger days, Soleri studied under Frank Lloyd Wright, attending the acclaimed architect's school at Taliesin West. After a series of scampish behaviors, he was kicked out, but not before Wright's ideas on organic architecture took purchase.

During a tour of Taliesin West, about an hour south of Arcosanti in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale, our tour guide led us through Wright's home and office. 'He got his ideas from nature,' she said. 'Nature was his religion, with a capital N.'

Some of Wright's main themes, which reappear in Arcosanti, are the use of site specific materials and multi functional elements: A pool of water works for swimming, extinguishing fires and cooling the air. Wright also found unsightly the guts of industry and threatened to raze Taliesin West after electric towers were erected, sullying his view. In the end, he decided to simply turn his back on them, shifting his focus onto the mountains in what was now his front yard.

Arcosanti also blots out the less attractive hallmarks of an industrialized, auto dependent society. The highway is not visible from the property, nor are the McDonald's golden arches in nearby Cordes Junction. At night, the glare of Phoenix doesn't dim the star-bright sky.

Despite his preference for a natural setting, Soleri spends part of his time at Cosanti, his gallery, studio and home in nearby Paradise Valley. (He spends the rest of the week in an apartment at Arcosanti.) Built in the 1950s and recognized as an Arizona Historic Site, the five acre property does its own sprawling, with seven surreal structures that include the apprentice quarters, supposedly Steven Spielberg's inspiration for the Ewoks' habitat in 'Return of the Jedi.'

Cosanti is also a giant exhibit hall for Soleri's signature ceramic and bronze bells, which hang from every imaginable surface. When the early evening wind swept through, the noise was more fairy tinkle than Philip Glass.

Since Arcosanti is a working city, not a top service resort, visitors are left to their own devices for amusement. The most obvious distractions are the hour long tour (did that), the bakery (ate my treat) and the gallery (browsed the bells and even rang some). The cafe serves three meals a day and on occasion exhibits works by residents (coveted the coffee table made of a metal Marlboro sign). After that, it was up to me, though I was taking suggestions.

One came from Clifford Hersted, the resident anthropologist and best petroglyph spotter around. During his 15 years at Arcosanti, he has found hundreds of these artifacts scrawled on nearby rock faces and has identified stone walls built by prehistoric Indians around A.D. 1300.

We set off on foot on a hot Sunday morning, with Cliff dressed head to toe in desert hues. Our group included Colleen of Michigan, who made bells; Alessandro, an Italian photographer; and Peter, a Wisconsin chef who the previous night had allowed me to play sous chef. (If you want to help out, just speak up; the residents are grateful for an extra hand.) Like ducklings in an ill formed row, we followed Cliff, who carried a big stick to shoo rattlesnakes.

Cliff hypothesized that Indians once hunted pronghorn antelope here. Stacked boulders zigzagging up the mesa, he explained, were placed by the Sinagua to channel the animals into the 'kill zone.' (The antelopes can run as fast as 60 mph, but they don't jump.)

'It took a lot of labor to build these walls,' he said. 'It would take a lot of Arcosanti workshoppers.'

Earlier, Cliff had told us that it takes a while to train your eye to differentiate man made constructions from natural ones. Even on alert, I completely missed the petroglyphs at my right elbow: figures of hunters with some meat on their bones, and antelopes that showed no fear of becoming dinner.

'I don't know if they charmed them or drugged them,' he said. 'But their tails are down, so they aren't stressed. This is real storytelling.'

After our trek back, it was time to do what I had not done in two days: drive.

Before setting off for Phoenix, I attached a small Soleri bell to my rearview mirror. The bronze ornament chimed sweetly all the way back to the highway, but then started to swing dangerously toward my head. At that point, I had to take it down and tuck it away.

By Andrea Sachs

THE LATEST ECO CITY NEWS, FROM BUILDINGS CAN BE GREEN

Kermit the Frog got it wrong. It is easy being green.

John Hunt, president of First Avenue National Bank, uses the recycling station at the bank's new building on Southwest First Avenue.Well, at least it's possible for an office building to be green.

Ausley Construction (www.ausleyconstruction.com) and K.P. Studio Architect, P.A. (www.kpstudioarchitect.com) proved that with recent completion of the First Avenue National Bank (www.firstavebank.com) at 910 S.W. First Ave., just half a block from Southwest Pine Avenue.

It is Marion County's first ever U.S. Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org) certified Green building. It also obtained a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, Silver rating, which is the benchmark for design and construction of high performance green buildings.

Bank President & CEO John Hunt and Ken Ausley, co owner of Ausley Construction see the two story facility with its 'transitional' style architecture and earth tone decor in another context: They feel it will help reshape and market Ocala's downtown corridor.

'We relate to the downtown corridor which is more traditional,' explained Ausley. 'We also relate to the nearby hospitals that are lot more modern. So we tried to blend those a much as we could.'

Aside from the granite top recycling station in the bank's foyer, or the dual flush toilets in the restrooms, much of the energy saving devices and environmental features designed into the 15,000 square foot building are so subtle as to be almost imperceptible.

For Hunt and Ausley, the key considerations that went into the design of the $3.7 million dollar building were water conservation, energy conservation and a safe working environment. To that end, all the offices in the building are equipped with sensors that control lighting and temperature.

Although energy consumption was a major factor in the design of the building, Both Ausley and Hunt are most proud of the conservation measures they took to save the stately oak trees dotting the rear of the property. An arborist was engaged to drill more than a hundred and fifty drainage holes in the parking lot pavement at the base of the trees so water and fertilizer could easily reach their root systems.

But that was just the beginning.

Ausley also installed a sophisticated computer driven irrigation system that measures ground moisture, humidity, rainfall and wind before activating the sprinkler system.

'In the typical irrigation system you are losing 50 percent of your water through evaporation,' said Ausley. "This system eliminates a good deal of that.'

Another area of focus, Hunt and Ausley said, was on making it a 'healthy' building.

'The materials that are used in the interior, from the carpet to the sealants, to the caulk, to the paints are what we call VOCs, or low volatile organic compounds,' said Ausley. 'We also purchased all building materials locally to reduce the environmental impact from shipping and transportation. In addition, at least 30 percent of the steel in the building is recycled steel.'

'We also have much thicker insulation in our building,' interjects Hunt. 'It's R 30 rather the standard R 13.'

But the biggest 'wow factor' in Ausley's opinion is the building's state of the art and heating, air conditioning and lighting system. Every room is equipped with occupancy sensors that not only flip the lights on an off as officer workers come and go, but also control the brightness of the bulbs depending on the amount of natural light entering the room. The heating and air conditioning can detect the number of people in a room, measure the amount of their carbon dioxide output and then adjust the temperature according to occupancy of the room.

'In our boardroom, if the CO2 content gets too high, the system opens a vent on the roof that pulls in fresh air' said Hunt, adding, 'That's so the directors won't fall asleep when we are doing all our boring financial data.'

Ausley figures the greening of the building added an additional 6 percent to its cost, or about a quarter of a million dollars more than a traditional structure. He and Hunt figure it will take five to six years before they will realize a return on their investment faster, if the cost of electricity continues to escalate.

For John Hunt the desire to make the First Avenue Bank building, the first 'green' building in Ocala was part practical and part altruistic.

'While we did it for ourselves, we really did it for the community,' he said adding, 'We thought this was one of the things we could do to demonstrate that we are good community citizens.'

Hunt and Ausley say they are planning to demonstrate that commitment further. The bank's first branch facility, to be located off the corner of West State Road 40 and Southwest 60th Avenue will also be 'green'. It's scheduled to open in October.

By STEVE FLOETHE

THE LATEST GREEN BUILDINGS NEWS, FROM BUILDINGS CAN BE GREEN

A VILLAGE on the edge of Norwich has emerged as a potential frontrunner for a 4,000 home eco town after being warmly welcomed by housing minister Caroline Flint.

The group of council leaders behind the zero carbon eco town formally made their case to the government last week and were immediately told by the minister their plan had 'a lot of potential'.

The Rackheath proposal now looks poised to beat an alternative plan at the former RAF Coltishall airbase which has caused controversy across Norfolk since it was suggested. The Coltishall plan received a further blow last Wednesday when a plan to build a prison on part of the base was given the go ahead.

Up to 4,000 houses would be built, but the development would have few land-ownership hurdles to jump through because 95pc of the undeveloped area is in single ownership and, ironically, in line with RAF Coltishall, most of the land was formerly an airfield.

People in Rackheath said they were shocked at the scale of possible development and, although they had been expecting new houses to come, it was only in far smaller numbers.

Developer Barratt Homes said that 'if allocated for development, the deliverability of the site is not in doubt'.

The Greater Norwich Development Partnership (GNDP), the group of Norfolk councils promoting the eco town plan, has urged the government to drop Coltishall and take on in its place their plan, which they say is far more sustainable. They also pledged local people would be fully consulted.

Responding to the GNDP approach, Ms Flint said: 'I very much welcome this positive proposal from these local authorities, which demonstrates how they are stepping up to meet the housing challenge in their area.'

“We think this proposal has a lot of potential and it will now be rigorously assessed alongside the other bids to ensure only those with the highest standards make it through to the final shortlist.

'This clearly shows how the government wants to work closely with local authorities and is being receptive to the views of local people on this important issue.'

The Greater Norwich Development Partnership is a partnership between Broadland District Council, Norwich City Council, South Norfolk Council, Norfolk County Council and the Broads Authority. It was formed to help manage growth in the three districts.

By www.advertiser24.co.uk

THE LATEST ECO TOWN NEWS, FROM BUILDINGS CAN BE GREEN