THE GREEN HOUSE EXHIBIT
by Sarah Rich
On May 20, the National Building Museum will open a new exhibit, The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture and Design. Inspired by Alanna Stang and Christopher Hawthorne’s 2005 book by the same name, the show will move beyond traditional exhibition format to give visitors tips, information, and a Materials Resource Room, where they can learn to apply sustainable principles to their own homes and lifestyles.
The centerpiece of the show is a full-scale model of Michelle Kaufmann’s acclaimed Glidehouse, where green building techniques can be seen in the context of a modern home.
“One section of the exhibition is devoted to �five green principles:’ wisely using the land; working with the sun; creating high-performance and energy-efficient houses; improving indoor air quality; and wisely using the earth’s material resources…Graphic panels illustrating the principles help lead to broad topics, such as how urban planning strategies, like building near mass transit, can cut dependence on fossil fuel, as well as to specific recommendations about how to choose ventilation and cooling/heating systems; select materials with minimal toxic properties; and eliminate fumes.”
The National Building Museum will run the exhibit through June of 2007. If you happen to live in - or be passing through - Washington DC in the next year, check it out.
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It’s fitting that the National Building Museum is hosting the Green House–the beautiful building where it’s housed is an early example of sustainable building in addition to an early example of incorporating accesibility in its design. But I’m going to have to head down and check this out–thanks!!