For Immediate Release: April 10, 2008
Media Contacts: Emma Filar, Marketing & Communications Associate
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Green Community: Earth Day News Release
New exhibition scheduled to open in October rethinks boundaries and roles to improve environmental sustainability
WASHINGTON, DC—The public will have a chance to step back and see their environmental impact and efforts as part of a greater community – be it geographic, professional, or demographic – this fall when the National Building Museum opens Green Community on October 23, 2008. The first-ever exhibition of its kind will examine the history of environmentally sustainable planning and design, and explore innovative contemporary and future projects from around the world.
Following the phenomenal successes of the Museum's past "green" exhibitions, Big and Green and The Green House, a new exhibition entitled Green Community will examine how and why we plan, design, and construct the world between our buildings. Much more than a collection of energy-efficient structures, green communities range from elementary schools to universities, from small rural towns to large urban centers, and are even found in the virtual world. Although these communities are incredibly diverse in terms of identity, scale, and location, all rely upon the cooperation between designers, builders, planners, policy makers, and citizens to create healthy and sustainable built environments.
Green Community will encourage the Museum's visitors to consider environmental sustainability dependant upon collective, community-scale efforts.The exhibition will also examine ways of reducing the impact of our built environments on the Earth. The first part of Green Community will explore sustainable planning strategies such as brownfield and greyfield land redevelopment, transit-oriented communities, natural resource management, and land conservation. Highlighted communities in the United States and around the world include Galisteo Basin, New Mexico; Mendoza, Argentina; Haili'imaile, Maui, Hawaii; Greensburg, Kansas; Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; and Mona Terrace, Muskegon Heights, Michigan. The exhibition will also include local examples of green initiatives in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. These diverse communities demonstrate successful and innovative examples of sustainable planning, policies, design, and technology.
The second part of the exhibition will demonstrate how the ancient elements of air, water, earth, and fire still continue to factor into the sustainability of our environments and the health of our cities and towns. Today, an array of technologies and systems, both simple and sophisticated, harness wind for renewable energy, reclaim poisoned land, control urban heat islands, and responsibly manage the world's water resources. These and other innovations will be exhibited through multimedia interactive displays and unique objects designed to teach all ages of visitor.
The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to advancing the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives. Through its exhibitions, educational programs, online content, and publications, the Museum has become a vital forum for the exchange of ideas and information about the world we build for ourselves. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org. Connect with us on Twitter: @BuildingMuseum and Facebook.
Additional information about the exhibition will be released in June 2008.
