First there were eco-friendly cars running on alternate fuel, and now there are environmentally friendly art centers - at least that's the goal for Ohio Valley Creative Energy (OVCE) and Miami University students.
This semester, students are pairing with the organization to help build a glass, metal and clay facility run completely on methane gas. The facility will be located at Clark-Floyd Landfill in Borden, Ind.
Lori Beck, director of the project for OVCE, will be speaking Feb. 2 at Miami about her hopes and ambitions for the project and how that Miami students in the Energy and Sustainable Design Studio class are helping to make her dream a reality.
To help the goal of the art center become a reality, electric cooperatives Hoosier Energy and Clark County REMC have united to develop the first commercial-community Landfill-to-Gas (LFG) project in the United States. Essentially, the facility will be powered off of methane gas gathered from the landfill, thus joining an electric company and landfill with a community funded project.
Designing the actual building will be the contribution of the Miami students. The art facility will apply green building techniques using recyclable materials and utilizing the most efficient architectural designs that take the surrounding environment into careful consideration.
According to Beck, students have been planning the 12,000-square foot facility that will also encourage social interaction between local artists and the tri-state community.
Scott Johnston, associate professor of architecture and interior design, said the students designed the structure this way to help encourage their goal of interaction.
"The building is a four-part design with a large garden in the middle," Johnston said.
Beck said construction begins this semester, with the goal of completion in 2009.
Along with designing the art center, Miami students have engaged with the artists from OVCE and are currently holding an exhibit in Alumni Hall called, "Turning Trash Into Treasure." The exhibit features glass, clay and metal artwork, including some modern and some symbolic pieces.
Miami junior Megan Probst, who visited the exhibit, said that she is excited Miami students are working on environmentally friendly projects.
"It's really interesting to see the different pieces of art," Probst said. "I think its great that Miami is involved in an eco-friendly project like this."
Johnston agrees.
"I like my students to be involved in actual community projects such as these, it is a great opportunity for them," Johnston said.
Beck will be speaking beginning at 3 p.m. Feb. 2 in Alumni Hall, and the exhibit will continue through Feb. 3.
