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Wind Power: An Emerging Choice for Schools

The recent Copenhagen Climate Summit simultaneously highlighted worldwide concerns regarding climate change and international hope for collaborative efforts to re-align the path of human development with the natural systems that sustain it. Nowhere is hope more concentrated than in the education of future generations.

Providing students of every age an opportunity to learn about alternate energy sources can provide justification beyond typical financial cost analysis. Providing opportunities for creating curricula around live sources of alternative energy is an investment in itself.

Windmills have a long history as a symbol of rugged American individualism, from the image of the West where water was pulled up from aquifers to make settlements otherwise uninhabitable areas to the self-sufficient pioneers of the 1970s in off-grid homes in every state.

Now, windmills are making a national comeback. Wind power has the potential to generate 20 percent of our national power needs by the year 2030, according to the Department of Energy. In Denmark, 20 percent of all energy produced is generated by wind, putting the United States about 20 years behind.

Wind farms are used throughout the world to generate large quantities of electricity that are then mixed with other sources to supply the grid. For example, the Middelgruden Wind Farm just outside the harbor of Copenhagen was the first and best-known wind power farm of its kind. The farm, co-owned by a local cooperative and the utility company, began production in 2000 and generates 350,400 megawatt hours annually. Within the first five years of operation, the wind farm generated 6.5 percent more energy than originally anticipated.

Recently the United States was listed as the country with the largest installed capacity of wind-generated power: over 157.68 million megawatt hours of wind power in 2008, roughly enough to serve over 4.9 million households.

While the numbers appear to be quite large, it is important to consider them in context. The United States is also the world’s largest consumer of electricity and surpasses China — the second-largest consumer — by over 30 percent in overall annual consumption. For comparison, overall annual consumption for the United States in 2005 was 3.8 million megawatt hours a year, meaning the amount generated last year was less than 5 percent of the total consumed. Nationally, we have some work to do.

The Wind Powering America project was initiated by the DOE with such statistics in mind, and the Wind for Schools program is looking forward to a time when we are less dependent on foreign oil to meet our energy needs.

Currently, most of the installed school wind projects that have made use of the program are located in rural areas of the Midwest. A quick glance at a map of national wind speed potential explains why. Large areas in the plains are capable of supporting sustained wind speeds that translate into greater energy capacities. The program is therefore aimed at the area most likely to be developed for harvesting wind.

The Wind for Schools program requires that each school be financially responsible for its turbine, so while the primary goal may be curriculum based, there is still a need for financial prudence.

It is important that a wind turbine installed in an educational setting provides an example of energy efficiency and carbon reduction by contributing to energy savings for the school via energy production data, as well as expose students to the mechanics of power generation.

It is useful to have a basic understanding of the factors that contribute to wind power, including the overall turbine market and what to look for.

The variety of turbines can be overwhelming and selection should be guided by a careful understanding of site conditions, output targets and efficiency goals. Some of the more affordable turbines do not perform well once installed and result in underutilized capacity. When investigating turbines it is important to look for measured output data as opposed to rated output data. Rated data can be misleading because it is determined by idealized conditions and turbines usually perform at a much lower capacity.

It is also critical to be aware of the specific wind conditions used to generate each rating, as they will vary from one manufacturer to another. Output numbers generated at 6 mph versus 12 mph, for example, are actually much further apart than they appear. Wind-energy capacity is proportional to the cube of its speed; this means that doubling the wind speed results in an energy output that is eight times greater.

Conversely, far less energy is produced at lower wind speeds. For this reason, some engineers will recommend not installing wind turbines if the Wind Power Class for the area is less than 2, which translates to an annual potential wind speed of less than 9.8 mph at of height of 33 feet above the ground. It is important to note that variables that influence wind speed can be quite site specific and can be significantly impacted by very localized conditions.

Turbines are generally divided into two categories: horizontal axis and vertical axis. Most large-capacity turbines used for wind farms are horizontal axis. Vertical axis turbines are futuristic looking, and manufacturers are trying to build a reputation for them as the quieter option. Each type is further divided into subcategories.

The National Renewable Energy Lab’s definition of net-zero buildings rates power-generation sources that are physically attached to a building above power generated on site or purchased from renewable sources. This gives the photovoltaic market an edge over wind turbines because photovoltaic systems are usually installed on the roof of a building.

Recently, manufacturers have begun to create building-integrated wind turbines in both horizontal and vertical axis models, and some building-integrated turbines were designed specifically to take advantage of the updraft along the face of buildings.

However, noise, vibration and air turbulence provide significant challenges to overcome. While some of the building-integrated turbines are quite elegant and visually appealing, their overall performance must be taken into account.

Wind Resistance

Wind power continues to meet resistance within the population, despite its potential as a clean and renewable resource. Some concerns include opposition to aesthetics or concern for local wildlife. The concern most often cited, however, is noise. Understanding why turbines make noise can help mitigate concerns about installing a wind turbine.

Factors that impact noise levels can be either mechanical or aerodynamic. Mechanical noise can be addressed by understanding the unit you are buying and comparing different turbines. Generally speaking, measured noise levels can range from 30 to 89 decibels, with many falling in the range of 35dB to 40dB. To put that in context, typical urban street traffic is measured at around 85dB, while an occupied living room is generally about 35dB.

Manufacturers should be able to tell you what the expected noise levels are, but they are likely to provide data for mechanical noise only. Aerodynamic noise is more difficult to predict and is best addressed by knowing the speed, direction and consistency of wind potential on the site. Air turbulence is created by physical impediment to air flow and can vary widely in how much it adds to the noise a wind turbine generates.

Over the past 20 years, the term sustainability has lodged itself firmly in the language of everyday life. Combining that with a growing understanding of the impact of carbon output on the global environment, many institutions are now looking more seriously at ways to reduce their impact.

Wind turbines can be an effective and elegant way to introduce power generation to a site. In some instances, energy produced from turbines can exceed the energy needed, resulting in an income source by selling excess energy to local utilities. Wind power has the potential for being one of the best long-term investments for our country, and our schools. The future is listening.

Lisa Hiserodt is an intern architect with HMFH Architects, a Cambridge, Mass., architecture firm focused on the academic market.

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$25 Million Visual Arts Center Goes for LEED Certification

LARAMIE, Wyo. — Plans are in motion for a new LEED-certified, $25 million visual arts center at the University of Wyoming Laramie Campus, with construction slated to begin in July 2010.

The 83,750-square-foot facility, which will house studios for metalworking, ceramics, printmaking and other arts, was designed by Wyoming-based architectural firm Malone Belton Abel, PA, and will be built by GE Johnson Construction Co. of Colorado Springs, Colo. Under a policy enacted by the university in 2008, it must at least meet LEED Silver standards, but it is more likely to achieve Gold or Platinum certification, according to planners.

The new building will supplement UW’s overburdened visual arts facilities, which were constructed in 1972 and struggle to accommodate the rapidly growing enrollment of fine arts students. The State Building Commission authorized the university to issue up to $33 million in revenue bonds to finance construction, with a coupon payment backed by student housing fees.

Merl Haworth, associate director of facilities planning at UW, says that in addition to LEED certification, the new facility may also achieve a zero net energy consumption goal. However, the nature of the building’s uses poses challenges.

“It’s a visual arts building, but a lot of the rooms function as labs and we can’t have students breathing recycled air,” Haworth says.

Despite stringent ventilation requirements resulting from student activities, including welding and hazardous chemical applications, the facility still has several options for reducing its nonrenewable energy consumption profile.

“We’re looking at alternative energy sources — an evacuated tube system for heating, heat collectors, solar power,” Haworth says. “Wyoming is great in that it offers a lot of options.”

Additional options include passive solar heating or purchasing energy from off-site renewable sources.

Matt Tompkins of Malone Belton Abel has considered another, potentially controversial renewable energy source.

“What we’ve come up with is to try to use a wind turbine, though the politics alone are difficult to overcome,” Tompkins says.

Wyoming, which produces more than 986 megawatts of wind energy annually, is no stranger to wind turbines. The problem in this case, however, seems to be location.

“There are two issues with it,” Haworth says. “One is the front-end cost of putting one up and the other is the political issue of putting it up within city limits. We do have other property that is outside of the city limits, but that’s on the edge of our opportunity for net zero.”

If net zero appears a distant goal, LEED certification appears assured. Malone Belton Abel, which has designed more than 20 facilities for UW, has a proven history of dedication to green design. Its newest UW facility, the $20 million Center for Natural History and Conservation, will be submitted for LEED Gold certification when construction ends in summer 2010.

Project Data

Facility: University Visual Arts Center

Location: University of Wyoming

Laramie Campus

Construction Budget: $25 million

Area: 83,750 square feet

Construction Start Date: July 2010

Architect: Malone Belton Abel, PA

Construction Company: GE Johnson

Malone Belton Abel

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Higher Ed. Association Introduces Green Standard

WASHINGTON — The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education introduced a new sustainability tracking program designed to provide a framework for colleges and universities to gauge their progress with green initiatives.

The goal of the Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System is to create campus incentives for sustainable improvements, enable comparisons and collaborations with sustainability practices using a common set of measurements, and build stronger campuses united in sustainability efforts.

The three-year program is available to all colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Several institutions, including American University, Carnegie Mellon University, Unity College and the University of Denver, have signed on.

AASHE began working to create a unified campus sustainability rating system with nonprofits and higher education associations three years ago. Nearly 70 institutions participated in the year-long pilot program, which combined suggestions and advice from school committees around the country into STARS 1.0.

The program is unique in that it assesses social indicators of institutions as well as environmental and profit factors, according to AASHE. The program includes credits for environmental, social and economic performance.

“STARS offers a comprehensive roadmap and review approach that guides and affirms sustainability in all of its facets,” says Dave Newport, director of the Environmental Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder. “STARS helps campus users plan actions and forecast achievements. STARS’s comprehensive design informs an approach to sustainability with the flexibility each campus needs to tailor activities to unique local conditions and context.”

The system requires reporting in three categories: education and research, including academic work toward sustainability programs; operations, including building design and operations and on-campus greenhouse gas emission reductions; and planning, including campus diversity, sustainable campus practices and public engagement.

“By framing sustainability in this way, STARS will require many individuals on a campus to come together to develop an understanding of how well the campus is doing and what else needs to be done,” says Paul Rowland, executive director of AASHE. “For many campuses, it will require greater collaboration within the campus.”

The STARS sustainability tracking assessment rating system monitors progress over time, taking a snapshot of practices to find strengths and areas that need more effort, while rewarding institutions for good work and encouraging and challenging them to move forward.

Institutions complete specific reporting fields to demonstrate that they’ve earned STARS credits, submitting facts and data through an online reporting tool. Universities and colleges are given a variety of rating levels depending on their proficiency, including STARS Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and STARS Reporter for institutions that don’t want to be rated.

The STARS registration fee is $900 for AASHE members or $1,400 for non-members. The tool is also available for free, without technical support.

At Middlebury College, the STARS pilot program, helped the institution build a reputation as a key player in sustainable efforts, says Nan Jenks-Jay, dean of environmental affairs. In turn, Middlebury College was approached by entrepreneurs, businesses and individuals wishing to invest in the school, which supplied the college with funding for a variety of sustainability projects and initiatives.

For more information on STARS: www.stars.aashe.org

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Report Documents Economic Peaks and Troughs

**Construction Companies are Most Effected by Economic Downturn**

NEW YORK — A recent report from the American Institute of Architects, designed to provide a market snapshot, paints a rosy portrait for architects prior to the economic downturn while offering a warning for firms in the market today.

Institutional construction, which includes K-12 and higher education facilities, reached a 15-year peak before the recession in 2008, according to survey responses from 2,699 AIA-member firms that were collected between January and March of this year. However, firms in all market sectors have witnessed steep declines this year, according to the survey.

“At the time of this report, the full extent of the downturn from the recession is unknown, but it is clear that it will be substantial,” the report states. “Payroll figures, which are available from the U.S. Department of Labor for a wide range of industries, already point to major downsizing at many businesses.”

The report states construction companies experienced an 18 percent decrease in payrolls since residential construction peaked in 2006. Architectural firms, which avoided a decline until 2008, have experienced a 12 percent payroll reduction.

The report predicts the residential market will be first to experience a recovery, followed nonresidential projects. The most severely affected sector will be the commercial market, according to the report.

The current state of the market lies in contrast to earlier in the decade, when billings at U.S. firms increased $16 billion from 2005 to 2008, when they totaled $44.3 billion. During that time, gross architectural billings for nonresidential construction rose more than 50 percent and net billings rose more than 40 percent.

“While architecture firms are struggling considerably as the current economic slump continues unabated, there were extensive increases in revenue for the profession during the period this survey covered,” says Kermit Baker, AIA chief economist. “Of particular note, the survey also revealed the number of firms practicing green design has nearly doubled since 2005. The use of BIM software has also doubled in the last three years.”

Business Landscape

Despite recent mergers, architectural firms remain fragmented with 10 or less employees at almost 80 percent of AIA member-owned architectural firms at the end of last year. Only 2 percent of firms reported having 100 or more employees, according to the report.

However, despite the abundance of small firms, architectural firms with 50 or more employees generated half of the total revenue for all firms and employed 44 percent of the architectural workforce.

The AIA predicts that following extensive downsizing in 2008 and 2009, many architects will create smaller practices. Another effect of downsizing is the loss of interns or other young staff members who could leave the field for other career opportunities if they have difficulties finding work, according to the report.

During the recovery process after previous recessions, firms found a shortage of experienced staff as many people left architecture for other careers.

Additional highlights from the report:

50 percent of architecture firms reported green design practices, up from 31 percent in 2005. Firms with 10 to 49 employees had the biggest increase in green design with a jump from 48 percent to 72 percent in the last three years.
The number of minority licensed architects increased from 11 percent to 18 percent from 2005. There was a 3 percent increase in the number of minority partners/principles. The number of women principles/partners and architectural staff increase 1 percent.
The number of firms using BIM software increased from 34 percent in 2005 to 69 percent.

**Prior to Downturn, Architecture Firms Were Outpacing Growth in Economy and Construction**
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Top 10 Sectors Served by Architects in 2008

Healthcare – 18.2%
Office space – 11.3%
Education (K-12) – 9.0%
Education (college/university) – 9.0%
Retail, food services – 8.4%
Government/civic – 5.9%
Hospitality – 4.8%
Industrial – 3.6%
Transportation – 2.9%
Recreational – 2.3%

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New Orleans Opens Schools Part of $1.6 Billion Plan

NEW ORLEANS — A $1.6 billion master plan to rebuild schools here is coming to fruition with the fall opening of Langston Hughes Elementary School.

The 96,000-square-foot facility is the first school to open in New Orleans since 2003 and is the first public building to open since Hurricane Katrina and subsequent flooding caused widespread damage in 2005, according to officials.

Several schools planned under the 15-year master plan for the Recovery School District and Orleans Parish School Board are scheduled to open in coming months.

The new three-story, 165,000-square-foot Greater Gentilly High School, designed for 800 students, is expected to open in early 2010. It includes a flexible floor plan with retractable walls in several classrooms to allow for team teaching and an outdoor classroom. A water collection system is also planned for the facility.

Builders are entering the final phase of construction for the $26 million Andrew H. Wilson Elementary School, a project that includes building restoration and construction of a gymnasium, cafeteria and art and classroom space.

The new L.B. Landry High School, a three-story, 210,000-square-foot facility designed for 1,000 students, is expected to open by fall 2010. The school will have 52 teaching stations, including career technology labs, visual and performing arts labs and classrooms for core curriculum.

It will also feature a 650-seat auditorium, and environmentally friendly irrigation and solar hot-water systems.

Other schools in the works include the restoration of Joseph A. Craig Elementary, scheduled for completion by spring 2010, and replacement schools for Fannie C. Williams Elementary, Crocker Elementary and William Frantz Elementary.

During the next five years, approximately $700 million is scheduled to be invested in public school construction in New Orleans, much of it from Federal Emergency Management Agency recovery funds. During that time, 22 new schools are scheduled to open and 10 existing schools will reopen.

Phase one of the six-phase master plan, adopted in November 2008, includes an overhaul of nearly 40 percent of New Orleans public school buildings.

The master plan also includes consolidation of the 128 school facilities in use before Hurricane Katrina into approximately 85 schools. Approximately 50 buildings will be sold or put to new use as part of the plan. The plan includes renovation of 90 percent of the city’s occupied school buildings.

With the help of Global Green USA, designers are striving to reach LEED Silver standards in the design of the new schools. Designers are applying of green design features including the use materials from demolished schools and recycled materials in the design of the new buildings. The school districts hope to achieve 30 percent less energy use with the new buildings.

“The goal of the master plan is to really have 21st-century school facilities in New Orleans, and these are buildings that are going to make a difference in the quality of the schools,” says Siona LaFrance, communications director for the Recovery School District.

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Feds Provide H1N1 Virus Guidelines for Schools

ATLANTA – The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education recently released new guidelines to plan for and respond to the upcoming flu season.

The guidelines are designed to prepare students, faculty and staff for the impact that the H1N1 virus could have this fall and winter at K-12 and higher education facilities nationwide

In August, the Centers for Disease Control released a report stating that children and young adults of school age, particularly those older than 5, are most susceptible to death due to H1N1. Children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years comprise one of the top priority groups for the new H1N1 vaccine.

According to the CDC’s report, as of Aug. 8, 477 deaths associated with the H1N1 virus were reported, including 36 deaths among children. The CDC estimates that 1 million people in the U.S. have been infected with H1N1, and 8,800 people were hospitalized due to the virus.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stressed the importance of reaching out to students with innovative communication strategies, including social media tools, such as Facebook and Twitter.

“The H1N1 flu appears to be impacting a group of people who not only aren’t used to getting serious cases of flu but are not used to getting flu shots,” Sebelius says. “It is imperative that the public and private sector work together to reach students with critical information about the flu and teach them what to do when the flu hits their dorm room, fraternity house or campus classroom.”

The HHS and DOE designed a special online toolkit for administrators and students to use in case of an outbreak.

Important suggested actions listed in the toolkit include encouraging good hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes, encouraging flu vaccinations and separating sick people from healthy people as soon as possible.

Other suggested steps that institutions can take include: discouraging visitors with flu-like illness from attending institution-sponsored events until they are free of fever for at least 24 hours; examining and revising current flu response plans and procedures; making soap, paper towels and alcohol-based hand cleaners readily available; and educating students, faculty and staff about good hand hygiene.

Higher education institutions are encouraged to develop alternative programs in case of an H1N1 outbreak, including creating or expanding distance-learning programs and establishing refunds and re-enrollment programs in case a student’s school year is disrupted by an outbreak.

Secondary and primary educational institutions are encouraged to take stock of the tools they have for delivering curricula to students outside of school and to reach out to local business and community leaders for additional distance-learning resources.

The CDC’s report studied the first 36 deaths to occur due to H1N1 flu, making comparisons to pediatric deaths during normal seasonal flu seasons. It found that in addition to school-aged children being most susceptible to death due to the flu, almost two-thirds of the children who died from the virus had epilepsy, cerebral palsy or other neurodevelopmental conditions.

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Bronx Multi-Use Facility Will Pair Community Center With School

NEW YORK — Officials broke ground on the $83 million New Settlement Community Campus, a pre-K-through-12th-grade public school in the Bronx with a nonprofit community center.

The four-story, 172,000-square-foot school and community center will include an indoor swimming facility, a primary and intermediate/high school, a library, auditorium and gymnasium. The school will serve approximately 1,100 elementary, middle and high school students.

The facility, expected to be completed by 2012, was co-developed by Settlement Housing Fund and the New York City School Construction Authority. New Settlement Apartments, a subsidiary of New Settlement Community Campus, will operate the community center, its swimming pool and several social service programs, and provide facilities management for the school and the center.

The gymnasium, school facilities and recreation yards will be available for after-hours use by the local community.

Dattner Architects and Edelman Sultan Knox Wood Architects, both of New York, designed the center. Turner Construction Co. is building the center, while URS Corp. is providing construction management services.

The center will be built of brick but will include zinc panels and a curtain wall to create a focal point.

Different-colored brick was used in different patterns for each of the school’s classroom wings, and the zinc, which was used on the school’s auditorium, will oxidize and darken over time to resemble shingles, says David Levine, project manager of Dattner Architects.

The facility is planned with several green features including dedicated building spaces for the collection of recycled materials, natural lighting in 75 percent of the regularly occupied areas and controls for lighting, heating and cooling.

Up to 75 percent of construction waste will be collected, segregated and diverted from landfill disposal and recycled and 10 percent of the new building material will contain recycled content, according to planners.

School officials are aiming to reach 27 points from the “School Construction Authority Green School Guide,” making the building comparable to a LEED-certified facility.

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Illinois Debuts LEED for Schools Campus

WARRENVILLE, Ill. — Hubble Middle School, the first LEED for Schools middle school campus registered in Illinois, opened its doors for the first time for fall classes.

The $37 million school for sixth- to eighth-grade students features a three-story classroom building with 10 classrooms on each floor. Each floor also has collaboration zones, six special-education classrooms, two science labs and a faculty team room.

The one-story main building has a cafeteria/commons with seating for 340 people, a 500-seat auditorium, faculty offices, a gymnasium and fitness areas, a health classroom and music and drama rooms.

A bridge with a multi-use art lab connects the two buildings and provides views of a vegetated roof that lies beneath the bridge.

Designers from project architect Legat Architects included a variety of stakeholders in the planning process — including administrators, teachers, students and the community — to ensure that he final design meets the needs of school officials and the community.

The community will have access to the school after hours and will be able to schedule the use of specific facilities through an agreement with the Warrenville Park District. The theater will be available to other schools in the district, along with local theatrical groups, and the fitness center will eventually be available to the community during non-school hours.

The campus is surrounded by wetlands and features several sustainable design techniques, including energy-efficient infrastructure systems, vegetated and reflective roofs, and permeable parking lots that reduce and filter water run-off.

Photo by James Steinkamp, Steinkamp Photography

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Construction Continues on $83 Million University Expansion

CARBONDALE, Ill. — An $83 million expansion and renovation that will dramatically change athletic facilities at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale is expected to be completed by 2010.

The centerpieces of the project includes a new 12,000-seat football stadium and a renovated basketball arena that will have approximately 8,500 seats. The projects are slated for completion in time to host the home-opening games of the 2010 men’s football season and the 2010 men’s and women’s basketball seasons.

The new football stadium will replace McAndrew Stadium, built in 1939, and the renovated 45-year-old Saluki Arena is expected to be more accommodating for fans, school officials say.

“It’s going to give our student athletes and our SIU-C community something to be proud of,” King says. “The facilities are going to be much more fan-friendly facilities.”

Budgeted at $25.3 million, the 37,000-square-foot U-shaped football stadium designed by Carbondale-based Image Architects Inc. will have 12,000 fixed seats and additional lawn seating. It will feature a press box and club area with 12 private, enclosed luxury suites, a artificial grass turf fields, and new scoreboards and video boards.

The college’s current stadium has a “decrepit press box,” no suites, no clubhouse and no air conditioning, King says.

Once the project is completed, the old stadium will become primarily a track and field facility, King says.

Holland Construction Services of Swansea, Ill., is building the stadium.

The $29.9 million upgrade to Saluki Arena will include new seating, improved handicapped accessibility, a new scoreboard and concession areas and additional restrooms.

An $11.5 million two-story multi-purpose structure, designed by 360 Architecture of Kansas City, will serve as the new main entrance to the arena. The new facility will contain a ticket office, football and basketball team facilities, an auditorium and administrative space. The façade will combine brick veneer with a glass curtain wall.

Funding for the projects are coming from public and private sources. The city of Carbondale has committed $20 million ($1 million over 20 years) and SIU-C has increased student fees and launched a targeted fund-raising program for additional funding.

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LACCD Budgets $30 Million for Art Installations

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Community College District recently adopted a resolution to provide funds for public art at each its nine college campuses and satellite facilities.

The resolution sets aside approximately $30 million for public art supplied by the Los Angeles arts community. The funds come from one half of 1 percent of the district’s $6 billion sustainable building program created through three bond measures, passed in 2001, ’03 and ’08.

Georgia Mercer, an LACCD Board of Trustees member, says she hopes the resolution, which was partially modeled after the city’s commitment of 1 percent of its budget to public art, will send a message to the arts community and the community at large.

“My greatest hope is that with all the budget cuts and all the negativity that’s going on, this is a positive way to engage the community and campus in the future,” Mercer says.

The artwork should have “unquantifiable educational benefits” on the college community as well, Mercer says.

Larry Eisenburg, executive director of facilities planning and development, says the district will establish a committee to recommend art for each college. Art pieces that are chosen will be installed in popular public spaces, building lobbies and important open-space areas.

“Our colleges have very little public art involvement, and this is an opportunity to make a significant improvement,” Eisenburg says.

He says the artwork should spur dialogue and thought for people who visit the college campuses.

“It’s the basic nature of public art — the idea that public art makes people think, whether they like it or they hate it,” Eisenburg says. “Everybody has a reaction to it, and that reaction is what we want. When people see something foreign to them, it helps them change their whole thought process.”

Of the 90 new buildings planned through the sustainable building program, 10 have been completed and another 29 are under construction. All of the buildings are LEED-certified, and many incorporate wind, solar and geothermal energy systems. Several of the buildings are designed to produce all of their energy needs on site.

In addition to the public art resolution, architects working under the sustainable building program are encouraged to incorporate artistic features, such as murals or tile mosaics, into their building designs.

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