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view . spring 2010
New ECOHOUSE means URBAN
means ENVIRONMENT
Sustainable living and socially responsible
environmental practice is the focus of the “Urban
Arts Community” initiative located in the new
Ecohouse, on the University of Windsor campus.
Urban Arts Community is a School of Visual Arts
initiative in collaboration with the Green Corridor
Project, and is open to students from all UWindsor
programs. Located in the Ecohouse, it integrates
creative, social and environmental research activity
in partnership with ‘interest’ groups throughout the
greater Windsor region.
The Urban Arts Community is focused on
illustrating the future as a sustainable urban vitality
for Windsor. Students’ work in a unique multi-faceted
cluster of disciplines targeted toward impacting
creative urban design solutions for the campus
and adjacent Windsor communities. Faculty work
within research clusters that foster partnerships
within the University, engage community resources,
and extend association to other universities and
colleges. Projects explore applying new and historical
technologies that allow responsible environmental
choice and a connection to the community.
Programming at the Ecohouse (which is actually
two adjacent buildings on California Ave.) now
includes seminar and meeting space for research
clusters, studio and project space for graduate
students, and communication facilities linking
community organizations and researchers. A future
indoor/outdoor lab is being designed to demonstrate
urban environmental projects. Acting as a design
cluster, the Urban Arts Community extends limited
resources and research capacity with specific
collaboration from other university and college
faculties.
Two significant initiatives include ‘GreenSpace’
which transforms a reclaimed vacant lot between
the two Ecohouse buildings into a site that features
programmed eco exhibition space, and the
development of community partnered ‘Urban Food
Production’ that applies urban transformational
organic food production techniques to selected
campus locations for the education, collaboration
and consumption of the university and neighboring
communities. The University of Guelph’s Centre
for Urban Organic Farming is collaborating with
Windsor’s Fedup and the Green Corridor Course
to initiate example campus food production in
spring 2010.
Ontario’s economy and good for the environment.”
UWindsor is beginning to get noticed for its efforts,
says Carriveau, and his group is proud of the work they
have accomplished. A unique, new research opportunity
has arisen recently with commercial wind turbines
(see page 4).
Carriveau is working with a company interested in
creating longer-lasting wind turbines. It is good news that
companies are willing to invest in such research, he says,
because it is a challenge to convince both the industrial and
private sector that renewable energy’s higher initial costs
are worth the investment:
“In terms of obstacles, the poor economy would be
the biggest preventing renewable energy,” he says. “It is
difficult to convince individuals that the immediate costs
will pay-off in five years, for example.”
Eventually, however, the idea is to do “more with less”
energy, says Carriveau. “Conservation is the order of the day.”
The passion is there, and with the collaboration of
many different individuals and departments the University
has maintained a high standard of environmental
sustainability, and this will only continue.
“The bottom line is that the momentum is gaining,”
says Hastings. Sustainability practices benefit everyone,
and “it’s just the right thing to do.”
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Dr. Rupp Carriveau with former student Stephanie Uy in the Advanced Professional
Certificate in Engineering Management course.
