Sunday, May 3, 2009
LEED certified building in OKC: OMRF Building
OMRF, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, is building a new tower near the OUHSC campus in OKC. Check out the links below for an animated video of the tower, as well as the press release. Pay attention to the wind turbines that are incorporated into the top of the tower. This is the future of sustainable architecture...
Monday, March 30, 2009
Bridge Design
As a follow up to my last post, I wanted to post a few pictures of what I actually accomplished over Spring Break. Any thoughts, comments, suggestions are welcome, be brutal if necessary!
Monday, March 23, 2009
A Green Spring Break
Is not traveling considered green? I think it is. At least since I did not get to go anywhere, I am going to say it is.
I spent most of my week designing tension bridges that incorporate eco ideas, whether it be a bridge based on the eco regions of Oklahoma, a bridge that incorporates a large wind turbine, or a bridge that grows plants on the cables. My hope is that in the future, with Oklahoma City, or any city for that matter, I will have the ability to bring some of these ideas forward to show that not only buildings can be sustainable by design.
I did have a little time to get started on a home vegetable garden. Although I have not planted any veggies yet, I was able to get the plan done, turn the dirt, and get some all natural nutrients and fertilizers mixed in. Hopefully within the next week or two, once the threat of frost is gone, I will be able to get everything going.
Monday, February 23, 2009
A couple more good articles on the Eastern Redcedar
http://www.normantranscript.com/opinion/local_story_284012314
and
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The People of Oklahoma vs. The Eastern Redcedar
If you read my first post over this subject, Attack! part I, you might have noticed the astonishing statistic that each year, an acre of Eastern Redcedars can consume around 55,000 gallons of water!
Think about this, each day, according to the American Water Works Association, the average person consumes 72.5 gallons of water. If you take that times 365 days in a year, the average person consumes 26, 645 gallons of water. Equally as astonishing.
(http://www.gloucesterva.info/util/waterconservationtips.htm)
What I wanted to compare was Redcedars to the population of Oklahoma. According to ODOT (Oklahoma Department of Transportation), the state averages 0.08 persons per acre.
When all calculations are done, this means that the average acre of human life in Oklahoma takes 2,150 gallons of water per year, compared to an acre of Eastern Redcedars at 55,000 gallons of water per year.
ATTACK! part II - University of Oklahoma campus (read part I first!)
For now, this will have to do without pictures, but I promise they are coming soon.
After reading part one below (which you should've done), I now want to ask you a question...
The National Weather Center, which was recently built on Highway 9 and Jenkins, is what some might call a nice building (you won't hear me give it much more credit than that). However, this building that the University and the National Weather Center partnered up to build, is completely cut off from view (from highway 9) from about the 3rd floor down. The reason? THE EASTERN REDCEDAR!
Some of those cedars were already there when the Center was built, BUT, the University came back through and planted a thicker hedge of them to block the view (or maybe smell) from highway 9.
WHY? Why would the University, that has been so extensive in landscaping over recent years, think it is a good idea to plant a HEDGE of these cedars (this was rhetorical...it's the same University that destroys and replants thousands of flowers several times a year on the South Oval as part of their beautification efforts)? There are many other types of cedar, pine, or many other evergreens that could have had the same effect, and come on, they are much more attractive than the invasive breed.
How beautiful, right?
Now maybe the University is planning on using these cedars as biofuel (from article below) for their new fleet of buses, but I highly doubt it. I'm sure this issue is nowhere close to being on President Boren's agenda, but the sad part is that if any attention was paid whatsoever, these never would have been replanted in the first place, and the surrounding University property should be removed of them.
ATTACK! of the invasive Eastern Redcedar
From the Nature Conservancy...
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/oklahoma/about/invasives.html
Eastern redcedar is actually native to Oklahoma, but with the absence of fire on the landscape this juniper is estimated to be spreading at the rate of 720 acres per day in our state- creating relatively sterile cedar forests and increasing soil erosion underneath its canopy. Control options include controlled burning and mechanical removal.
And an article from last June, discussing the impacts and potential benefits of the Eastern Redcedar.
http://southwestfarmpress.com/news/eastern-redcedar-0605/index.html?imw=Y
- In Oklahoma, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) estimates the number of Eastern Red Cedars is increasing at an estimated rate of 852 acres a day or over 300,000 acres a year. It is estimated that at this rate of spread, the red cedar population doubles every 18 years. ·The trees are affecting people’s health, reducing productivity from grasslands and destroying wildlife habitat, all of which is costing the state millions of dollars each year, according to the Red Cedar Task Force formed in 2002 by the Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of the Environment.
- Oklahoma State University research shows that one acre of cedar trees can absorb 55,000 gallons of water per year, which means less water goes into lakes and aquifers, threatening water supplies for cities and towns.
- In 2000, it was estimated that red cedars cost Oklahoma $218 million dollars annually through catastrophic wildfires, as well as loss of cattle forage, wildlife habitat, recreation and water yield. By 2013 that figure is expected to increase to $447 million if major preventative control steps are not taken to control the invading cedars.
Is the Redcedar good or bad?
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