This evening, we were delighted to have Chris Costanza, the architect and primary voice in envisioning the net-zero aspects of the Commons, speak to a roomful of people interested in his take on sustainable design. Chris spoke to a mixed audience of local architects, Harley parents and staff, and other interested folk. He outlined the design-build process undertaken by the architect, the aesthetic designer, and the engineers to balance the compelling interests of beauty, energy efficiency, and budget. Follow up questions centered around specific choices made during the building process, the availability of the energy-efficient systems, and student management of the building through analyzing data. Those who were interested toured the different floors and rooms of the Commons.
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- Chris starting off celebrating the space he helped bring into reality
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- Drawing the connection between the original barn structure on Harley’s campus and the repurposed barn from Victor.
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- Eager listeners
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- Many audience members were architects who took notes.
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- Glad to have aesthetic designer, Tom Johnson, at the presentation!
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- Introducing key data points for students to explore
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- Some of the energy-efficient features of the Commons
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- A few photos showing the heat being passively vented into a room from the solar chimney.
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- Swapping design stories after the presentation.
