 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Green CommunityComing in October 2008
Second floor galleries The health of our communities, our planet, and ourselves depend on how we plan, design, and construct the world between our buildings. Green Community explores the origins of our precarious ecological situation and introduces communities large and small where citizens, political leaders, planning and design professionals, developers, and government agencies are working together for a more sustainable future.
Green communities aren't a new idea. In fact, for most of human history, "green" wasn't something special--it was simply how people lived. We arranged our days around the rising and setting of the sun and our years around the seasons. Healthy land resulted in healthy crops, which resulted in healthy people. Living in cooperation with nature wasn't a matter of choice; it was a matter of survival. Previous generations may not have used terms like "sustainable development" or "smart growth" but they knew that healthy places had clean air, fresh water, fertile soil, and viable ways to move goods and people around. As people invented new technologies, we changed how we live. Without the old constraints of nature, we can travel the world easily, use electricity to light up our nights and extend our days, and keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer. These conveniences, however, have had consequences for our personal health--and for the health of our civic spaces and our planet. It turns out that living in cooperation with nature is still a matter of survival. Humans, however, are still inventive and many communities are now investing in new technologies--as well as relooking at some old ideas--to create greener approaches to modern life. Green Communities
Public transportation, density and the growth boundary all work together in Portland, Oregon. Proximity to the streetcar line makes this a desirable location for development.
Courtesy of the Portland, Oregon Bureau of Planning
Remediating, Repurposing, ReinvigoratingBrown and gray can turn green. Brownfields are sites that have been polluted and have contaminated soil and water. Grayfields are abandoned sites, like old shopping malls, that are obsolete or in disrepair, but that have not been contaminated. Cleaning up and building on sites like this puts forgotten land to good use. Getting AroundWalkable communities have streets and sidewalks designed for people instead of just roads for cars. The greenest communities offer residents--including children, the disabled, and the elderly--multiple ways to get around. Increasing the density of housing and commercial spaces makes it easier to walk or bike from place to place, and also makes it easier to set up mass transit systems. Land ConservationPreventing sprawl saves larger stretches of land, which in turn preserves green space in a community. By increasing density, a community reduces the threat of traffic and human encroachment on local ecosystems. Compact development also makes other important options, like mass transit, possible. ResourcefulnessThroughout history, people have tried to keep the consumption and renewal of natural resources in a delicate balance, not always with success. Green communities today continue to pursue strategies--both ancient and new--to conserve resources such as fresh water and agricultural land for future generations to enjoy. WasteThe old saying "one person's trash is another's treasure" is still true. Curbside recycling programs have been around for many years, but some green-minded communities have gone a step further, creating programs to turn food waste into fertilizer. In other parts of the world, communities support themselves by finding value in what others discard. Close to HomeThe example communities in the exhibition are from all over the globe, but the National Building Museum’s own backyard – the DC metro area – has its share of green initiatives. Local governments, school districts, and non-profits have all done their part to make the capital region greener. Technology and the ElementsEarth, air, fire, and water are the sources of our food, fuel, and shelter--people have extracted, harvested, and cultivated these resources since the beginning of time. With each new technology, we redefine our relationship with nature. Green Community takes a look at how communities are using sustainable strategies ranging from sidewalks and window shutters to geothermal energy and damless hydropower. Earth
A combination of green strategies create this unique streetscape in Mendoza, Argentina: the canals full of water, the trees that depend on the water and shade the street, the benches under the trees, and the shopping street given to pedestrians.
© Susan Piedmont-Palladino
From the land we live on and build with to the soil we cultivate to the energy we extract from below the surface, sustainable planning and design begins with weighing the benefits and consequences of different uses of Earth. AirAir is all around us and inside us; our health depends on its health. Communities are exploring a variety of ways to improve their air and take advantage of its energy-producing capabilities.
FireThe sun’s radiation is the source of all our food and fuel, which we have mined, extracted, burned or harvested throughout history. Combining innovative technologies with older strategies, we can actively harvest the sun’s fire.
WaterIn the face of our consistent need for clean water amid changing environmental conditions, communities today are focusing on innovative conservation and purification technologies and on new forms of hydropower.
Interested in becoming a docent? Click here to learn more about the museum's docent program and to lead tours for Green Community. Sponsorship OpportunitiesFor more information about Green Community sponsorship opportunities, click here or contact Shar Taylor, Vice President for Development at 202.272.2448, ext. 3907 or staylor@nbm.org. Current Sponsors:(as of October 6, 2008) Presenting Sponsor
Lead Sponsor
Major Sponsor
Patron
Supporter American Society of Landscape Architects Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP Donald A. Capoccia CBC America Flooring Solutions Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development National Endowment for the Arts Perkins+Will Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill LLP Turner Construction Company, In Recognition of the Service of Turner's Green Building Advisory Board Christine Ervin, christine ervin/company Jerry Lea, Hines Vivian Loftnes, Carnegie Mellon University Paul von Paumgartten, Jonson Controls Rafael Pelli, Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
Contributor AECOM: DMJM H&N, EDAW, ERA, HSMM Arup The Durst Organization EastBanc FXFOWLE ARCHITECTS, LLP Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC Nixon Peabody LLP PEPCO SmithGroup/JJR STUDIOS Architecture
Friend BP Solar Envision Design PLLC KISHIMOTO.GORDON.DALAYA Architecture PC Teknion Terrapin Bright Green
Sustainable Communities Lecture Series Sponsor
Official Media Partner
Sustainability Partner
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|