Green Roofs September 22, 2006

Nate Golin recently traveled to Austria on his honeymoon (congratulations, Nate!) and visited the Hundertwasserhaus, an affordable apartment building in Vienna. The building was designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who, in addition to being a painter and sculptor, was a pioneer of contemporary environmentally-sensitive architecture. In an attempt to further humanize the irregular forms of the building, Hundertwasser covered the roof with 992 tons of soil and 250 trees and shrubs. There are even mature trees growing out some of the windows. According to Hundertwasser, "If man walks in nature's midst, then he is nature's guest and must learn to behave as a well-brought-up guest." You can see more of Nate's photos of the building here.

The prevalence of green roofs has greatly increased in the twenty years since Hundertwasserhaus was completed, particularly in Europe. Increased awareness of their environmental benefits, as well as improved technology, have led to a boom in their construction. Locally, the number of green roofs in the Twin Cities is growing dramatically, and Minneapolis will host the Fifth Annual International Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference in the spring. Chris Wegscheid sits on the planning committee for the conference, as well as the steering committee of the Twin Cities Green Roofs Council. He's put together a short introduction to green roofs that can be found here.

 

Eye Pod September 15, 2006

When the University of Minnesota's Landscape Arboretum put out a call for entries for a collection of "Secret Gardens," inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett's well-known children's book, Chris Wegscheid had an idea that didn't include a single plant: build a body-sized camera obscura that would bring an ever-changing view of the arboretum into a secret indoor space.

The camera is a walk-in box with a single glass lens that projects an image of the outdoor activity onto a big blank wall. It is among 20 Secret Gardens chosen for construction at the arboretum. A team from Cermak Rhoades Architects, Frerichs Construction Company and Scherer Brothers Lumber contributed materials, design and construction skills to produce the box, which will head to the Science Museum of Minnesota in the fall for placement as an outdoor exhibit.

Since opening the exhibit early in June, the Eye Pod has captured the gaze and amazement of visitors aged 2 to 80. While at first it appears as an empty white box, we promise you'll join the chorus of "wows" after the doors close.

Go feast your eyes!

For those unfamiliar with the Arboretum, it's a 1,000 acre display and research garden in the southwest corner of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Arboretum is open daily from 8 to 6, with two exceptions. It is open until 8pm on Thursdays, and opens mid-morning, 10am, on Sundays.

See their website for more information on special programs, admission, and directions: www.arboretum.umn.edu

 

Room with a View

In the historic Lowertown neighborhood of St. Paul, a beautiful brick warehouse building that had been vacant for nearly 25 years is now ready for occupancy with 71 affordable efficiency apartments. One obstacle that postponed reuse is the 5' high window sill configuration on the original facade. While suitable for its original warehouse function, dwelling units are more livable with windows that offer a view. Since the building is listed on the National Historic Register, lowering the sills and replacing the windows was both inappropriate and impossible.



Using an EPS foam product typically associated with site-work projects (such as Interstate 15 in Utah and Chicago's Millennium Park), floor space around the perimeter wall at each level was raised almost three feet by placing a solid-but-lightweight geofoam platform and pouring a new layer of concrete over the top.

Want some additional information?

CRA Project Page - Crane Apartments

What is geofoam?

 

Emergency Pack

Based on his experience with the post-flood planning project he managed for East Grand Forks, MN, Todd Rhoades was invited to make a presentation at a conference on post-disaster recovery planning in Dallas a few weeks ago.

He returned home very prepared: the conference organizers distributed red "emergency backpacks" whose contents are pictured above.

The pack includes the usual items: flashlight and batteries, radio, first-aid supplies, plastic sheeting, and duct tape. But it also has a few that we don't keep on hand at home: sealed drinking water pouches, a "brick" of emergency food rations, a whistle and glow sticks, among other items.

The plastic sheeting and duct tape were to be used together, as the Red Cross put it, to "shelter-in-place."

 

Art Therapy

This Spring we had a rare opportunity to visit with residents of a building we designed last year in Northeast Minneapolis. The project, Clare Apartments, provides housing and support services for people with HIV/AIDS.

A few of the residents gather weekly for what they call "art therapy," which during our visit included card-making and jewelry art. The jewelry comes from a donation by one of the residents, Robert, who gave his extensive collection from 20 years as a drag queen. One resident was busy turning two green necklaces into a whale, which after a brief struggle, evolved into a frog.

In previous weeks they had made cards for Valentine's Day, and often they make 'get well' cards for neighbors who are in the hospital. During our visit they were making a card for Wesley to be delivered that evening by a few of the residents and Wesley's dog Cocoa.

They talked about the art group being like a little family. Jodie and Robert, whose apartments are adjacent to each other, were described as "Donna Reed and Ma Kettle" respectively for their vastly different personal styles. But Jodie immediately commented that despite their differences they are "Next door neighbors of the same heart."

Want some additional information?

CRA project page - Clare Apartments

 

Fresh Grounds

This coffee shop on West Seventh St. in St. Paul is more than it seems. The friendly baristas serving you fancy espresso drinks and delightful pastries are also residents of Seventh Landing - a supportive housing program that occupies the upper floor of the building. Fresh Grounds is the public face of a program that helps curb homelessness in young adults exiting the foster care system. Opening its doors in 2003, Seventh Landing gives these at-risk youth a safe place to live while the support service staff encourages them to finish or continue their education. With the opening of Fresh Grounds in the fall of 2005, they also have the opportunity to develop employment skills.



Seventh Landing residents were also involved getting the shop up and running. Their work included presenting the idea to the community, attending city council meetings, and helping to finish off construction of the space.

Stop by for a visit and enjoy the friendly atmosphere with your favorite refreshment.

Want some additional information?

CRA Project page - 7th Landing

RS Eden Project page - 7th Landing

Pioneer Press article "Where Paycheck and Bed Foster Hope," by Ruben Rosario