Still Going Strong

Had a few set backs but still going strong.

This has been quite the week. I was forced to deal with some personal health issues so I was unable to make it into the office as much as I would have liked this week, but I still made some progress regardless! Earlier this week, I was poking my nose in around the office trying to get as much information about the renovations taking place on the South Dining Hall on campus as I could, and I was successful!  I am officially on the email list regarding anything about the renovations, and in contact with the head project manager, and the main construction company being used. So hopefully next week, I’ll talk to them and begin to understand their involvement in the project and what they do in general. They should be having a meeting some time next week to finalize the design plans, which I should be attending. The renovation process will be a huge part of my project because as a part of N.A.U.’s 2030 plan, all new buildings and renovations on campus will be LEED certified (building meets certain sustainable criteria to receive a certification) and sustainable, so I’ll get to observe and question the techniques of constructing a sustainable building.

I was supposed to meet with another professor this week, but was forced to reschedule. However I still looked into her work. This professor, Dr. Moline, also built her own sustainable house here in Flagstaff, but it is very different than Dr. Francis’s (the professor who built his net-zero energy house that I interviewed last week). Her house is made of adobe; sun-dried clay bricks, and overall is more similar to the average house in Flagstaff, unlike Dr. Francis's. She doesn’t have the complex electrical systems or the technological accessories like Dr. Francis, yet it is still a full functioning house and completely sustainable. I look forward to talking with her about the planning and construction that went into it, as well as getting a tour.