Photo by Andy Scott

My experience with the Tabernacle began through a daily Bible reading plan.  I found the Tabernacle difficult to picture at first.  The biblical language is very precise, but my understanding was lost in the many details and terminology.  If one struggles with what the Tabernacle looked like and how the components fit together, there are many fine commentaries on the subject with excellent diagrams and artists’ renderings.

In 2004, I visited Living Waters Bible Camp in Westby, WI.  The staff of the camp built a full size replica of the Tabernacle.  I helped on a couple of weekends in the construction.  The experience helped me immensely to understand what the Tabernacle would have looked like and felt like to experience.

My interest in the Tabernacle was renewed in fall of 2010 when I decided to study the Tabernacle of David for my thesis project.  The Tabernacle of David has its roots in the Tabernacle of Moses.  This truth plus the fact that the Tabernacle is written about in the Bible and that, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16) led me to pursue a greater understanding of Moses’ Tabernacle.

The truths and symbolism of the Tabernacle are vast.  Under the New Covenant, I believe that a deep understanding of the Tabernacle has been revealed by God through the New Testament Scriptures.  Bible teacher, William MacDonald, illustrates many truths of the Tabernacle through an understanding of the New Testament book of Hebrews in his Believers Bible Commentary on page 121.  I will share truths from MacDonald in the following commentary.  The Tabernacle was God’s earthly sanctuary.  It was a picture of God’s heavenly sanctuary.  The true tabernacle in Heaven is much greater with Jesus Christ as the high priest (Heb. 9:1-5; 8:2; 9:11-15).  The earthly Tabernacle had a Most Holy Place that only the high priest could enter, one day a year.  Through the blood of Christ, all believers can enter God’s presence at any time (Heb. 9:3; 10:19).    The earthly Tabernacle had a Veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.  The true veil is the flesh of Christ which was torn on Calvary.  The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ give all believers access to God.  It is important to note that the Veil of the Tabernacle was torn in two miraculously when Jesus died on the Cross.

The Tabernacle required animal sacrifices.  The priests offered these sacrifices daily.  They were a temporary means of covering sin.  They foreshadowed the blood of Christ’s sacrifice which occurred once for all time (Heb. 9:13-14).  The Tabernacle had the Altar of Burnt offering.  This was symbolic of Christ, the true altar.  Christ himself was the offering on the Cross (Heb. 7:13; 13:10).  The Tabernacle had a line of high priests who ministered on behalf of the nation of Israel.  The high priest foreshadowed the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ.  Christ is the sinless Son of God who always lives to intercede for us (Heb. 7:25).  The sacrifices of the Tabernacle were many and temporary.  The sacrifice of Christ was efficacious in dealing with sin.  “He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself . . . so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many” (Heb. 9:26, 28).  The Ark of the Tabernacle was a throne where God’s presence was manifested.  It also housed the tablets of God’s law.  Under the New Covenant believers can “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).  Lastly, the Tabernacle contained the Altar of Incense.  The incense typified the prayers of the saints that ascend before God.  The greater reality is the altar in heaven where incense is offered continually “with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne” (Rev. 8:3).

The truths of the Tabernacle are more than I can present in this short paper.  The reader is encouraged to study the Tabernacle on their own.  There are many great resources on the Tabernacle.  Lastly, the truths of the Tabernacle transcend the Old Testament—pictures of Christ and heavenly worship abound.

-B. Temperley, M. Arch. student

http://heavenawaits.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/tabernacle-of-david.jpg

Many people are familiar with or have heard about the Tabernacle of Moses constructed by the Israelites for use in their desert wanderings from Egypt to the Promised Land.  However, many people are less familiar with the tabernacle constructed by King David.  The author will attempt to clarify the differences between and significance of the two tabernacles.

First, a word of explanation may be helpful.  The word tabernacle is not a commonly used word in today’s English.  According to Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, a tabernacle is a “tent” or a “dwelling place”.  The Lord desired a place dedicated to worship.  He instructed Moses on Mount Sinai to build a portable tent from which priests could perform worship and service before Him as the Israelites journeyed from Egypt to the Promised Land.  The heart of the Tabernacle of Moses was the Ark of the Covenant where God’s glory was manifested.

The Israelites eventually settled in Shiloh in the Promised Land and pitched the Tabernacle of Moses.  Later, as a result of the wickedness of the priests, Eli and his sons, God allowed the Philistines to take the Ark from the tabernacle.  This led Israel to set up the Tabernacle of Moses in Gibeon, three miles north of Jerusalem, without the Ark!  Eventually, God brought judgment upon the Philistines causing them to return the Ark to Israel.  However, David pitched a tent on Mt. Zion to house the Ark of God instead of placing it in the Tabernacle of Moses.  Thus, the Tabernacle of David was established.  From the time the Tabernacle of David was established until the Temple of Solomon was built (35 to 40 years later), there were two tabernacles in existence at the same time.

Author, Kevin J. Conner, argues that there are many applications for the Church today which are found in the Tabernacle of David.  He illustrates some of these applications by comparing the Tabernacle of David with the Tabernacle of Moses and uses Old and New Testament examples in support of his premise.  The author will share ten comparisons between the two tabernacles.  First, the Tabernacle of David (TD) incorporated singers in the worship (1 Chr. 15:16-27; Col. 3:16).  The Tabernacle of Moses (TM) did not except for a few at Mt. Gibeon.  Second, the TD used instruments as part of the worship (1 Chr. 23:5; 25:1-7; Eph. 5:18-19), while the TM had none.  Third, the Levites ministered before the Ark (1 Chr. 16:37; Heb. 6:19-20; 10:19-21) in the TD.   Whereas, only the High Priest could minister before the Ark in the TM.  Fourth, the TD had a ministry of thanking (1 Chr. 16:4, 8, 41; 1 Thess. 5:18).  There was no such ministry in the TM.  Fifth, the TD was filled with praise (1 Chr. 16:4, 36; Heb. 13:15).  Praise was not part of the TM.  Sixth, the TD included Psalm singing (1 Chr. 16:7; Eph. 5:18-19; 1 Cor. 14:26; James 5:13).   Psalm singing was not part of the worship at the TM (Psalm 90 may be an exception).  Seventh, clapping was part of the worship at the TD (Ps. 47:1), but not at the TM.  Eighth, shouting was a part of the TD (1 Chr. 15:28; 1 Thess. 4:16).  Shouting was not part of the TM except at Jericho in Joshua chapter 6.  Ninth, dancing was instrumental at the TD (1 Chr. 15:29; Ps. 149:3; Lk. 15:25), but it was not at the TM (except in Exodus 15).  Tenth, worshippers at the TD offered spiritual sacrifices (Ps. 27:6; 116:17; 1 Pet. 2:3-5; Heb. 13:15-16), not animal sacrifices like the TM (Conner, 1976, p. 156).

In this brief comparison of the two tabernacles, the author hopes that the reader will understand some of the key differences between the two.  The author also hopes that the reader will find applications for the Church today through careful study of the Tabernacle of David.

-B. Temperley, M. Arch. student

References

Conner, K. J. (1976). The Tabernacle of David. Portland: Bible Temple Publishing.

The United States Green Building Council (USBGC) is a nonprofit organization made of leaders from all sectors of the building industry that promotes buildings and communities that are environmentally responsible, economically profitable, and healthy places to live and work.  The mission of USGBC is “To transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.”  USGBC developed the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System.  The LEED rating system has become a nationally accepted benchmark for sustainable design and performance.

I believe LEED is going to be a powerful force in the design and building community for years to come.  If you are an architecture or interior design student, you will not want to be left behind in the age of LEED.  There is a simple way to get a solid footing in LEED—the LEED Green Associate (GA) exam.  Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC) has a USGBC student group that is studying for the LEED GA exam.  We offer study materials and study sessions.  We also are sponsoring a LEED GA study seminar on April 8^th and 15^th on campus put on by Vertegy.  If you want to pass the exam, the Vertegy team has a near perfect record for attendees passing the exam.

I will outline the steps on becoming a LEED GA for SIUC architecture and interior design students.  First, as architecture and interior design students, you are in a program that addresses green building principles, so you are eligible for the exam.  Second, create an account at www.gbci.org to receive an eligibility ID.  Third, ask Dr. Wendler for a reference letter.  The requirements of the letter are found on the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) website.  Fourth, study for the exam.  The primary reference guides are Green Building & LEED Core Concepts and the USGBC LEED Green Associate Study Guide.  The USGBC student group is another study resource.  Fifth, register to take the exam at www.prometric.com (you will need your eligibility ID from www.gbci.org).  Prometric has a testing site in nearby Carterville, IL.

Once you pass the exam, you will have credentials that will look great on your resume!  This will help you get a job.  It will also put you on track to someday become a LEED Accredited Professional (AP).  The LEED AP credential will bring many opportunities for professional growth and promotion.  Some professional projects will require a LEED AP.  The highest tier of GBCI professional credentials is LEED Fellow.  This is for elite professionals that contribute exceptionally to the field of sustainability.

To learn more about the LEED GA exam and USGBC at SIUC check out our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/group.php?gid=155843984445808; our blog, http://greensiuc-usgbcstudents.blogspot.com/; and our GroupSpace,  http://groupspaces.com/USGreenBuildingCouncilStudent2.

-B. Temperley, M. Arch. student

Professor Jon Davey teaches Architecture History III: Non-Western Architecture at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC).  This is a required class of the recently accredited Master ofArchitecture program at SIUC.  As part of this class, Professor Davey gave his students the assignment to build a model of a non-western piece of architecture.  I chose to build a Native American Sioux tipi.  You may ask, “Isn’t that a western structure?”  It is not in the sense that western refers to the tradition of building traced from the Greeks, to the Romans, to the Europeans, and to the United States.  Native architecture is considered separate from this tradition.

According to Merriam-Webster, a Tipi is “a conical tent usually consisting of skins and usedespecially by American Indians of the Great Plains”.  Tipi is a Dakota word meaning “to dwell”.  A tipi isnot the same as a wigwam.  A wigwam is “a hut of the American Indians of the Great Lakes region and eastward having typically an arched framework of poles overlaid with bark, mats, or hides”.

I was greatly aided in my endeavor by a book entitled, The Indian Tipi: Its History, Construction,and Use by Reginald and Gladys Laubin.  I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a reliable description of the Native American tipi. The authors describe in precise language and detailed diagramshow to build a full scale tipi in the manner of the Sioux, the Cheyenne, the Crow, and other Native American tribes.  They also describe the utility and beauty of a tipi, the furnishings in a tipi, and how to transport a tipi.

After reading the Laubins’ book, I drew a model of the cover of a Sioux Tipi in AutoCAD at full scale according to the detailed diagrams in the book.  I then scaled the drawing to 1 ¼” = 1’-0” and printed it in the School of Architecture computer lab on trans-bond paper.  Next, I purchased materials.  I bought twenty 5/8” thick dowel rods from Walmart for the poles.  I bought two packages of two yard long pieces of off white canvas for the cover.  I bought yarn and string from Walmart.  I didn’t find the fabric paint I wanted at Walmart, so I went to Hobby Lobby.  I used the fabric paint to paint designs on the cover.

After purchasing the supplies, I trimmed the dowel rods to the correct size in the BlueBarracks wood shop.  I also sanded the ends to points to give the tipi a more realistic look.  To transfer the design onto the canvas, I first laid the canvas on a table.  I then laid transfer paper over the canvas.  Next, I placed the AutoCAD paper printout on top.  I traced the design with a pen, which transferred tothe canvas via the transfer paper.  Next, I cut out the cover.  Some of the hems I folded over and ironed together with iron-on adhesive.  After that, I painted the design on the cover with the fabric paint.

To assemble the tipi, I followed the instructions provided by the Laubins’.  I had to learn what a ‘clove hitch’ knot was to tie the three base poles together to form a tripod.  With the tripod erected, Ilaid the remaining poles in place and tied them together.  I attached the canvas cover and inner lining to the poles.  Then, I closed the front cover using cut-to-size tooth picks as lacing pins.

I enjoyed my tipi experience. I learned that tipis are ingenious, elegant structures.  There is more to their design than you might expect.  I challenge you to find out more about them.  If I
had more space to write I would tell you about the smoke flaps, the inner lining, their insulating properties, their adaptability to winds, how they are not perfectly cone-shaped, how to transport them, etc.  If you ever want to build a full-scale tipi, it might be worthwhile to build a scale model like I did first for practice.

-B. Temperley, M. Arch. student

(About the Prayer Room, 2011)

Professor Jon Davey introduced his Architecture III, Non-Western Architecture class at SIUC to analyzing the critical sub-systems of a system.  A system, in short, is composed of inputs and outputs involving matter, energy, and information (M-E-I).  The inputs are related to the outputs through a network of relationships.  The author will examine the Kansas City International House of Prayer (KC IHOP) Prayer Room system by identifying its ten sub-systems (Boundary Acceptance, Boundary Elimination, Distribution, Synthesis, Storage, Converter, Activation, Supporter, Reproducer, and Regulatory) as described by Ellner (1981).  The author chose the KC IHOP because a major component of his design thesis is patterned after the KC IHOP prayer room.

The Boundary Acceptance sub-system for entrance into the Prayer Room is the doors and the internet.  The live internet webstream is a virtual entrance for anyone with internet access.

Security guards act as a Boundary Elimination.  The Prayer Room is open to all unless there is a security threat that must be blocked from entrance.  Entrance via the webstream is disrupted by a lack of internet service.

Aisles, doors, hallways, etc. distribute persons throughout the Prayer Room.  Electrical energy is distributed from wall outlets through cables or wirelessly through the air.  Sound and video are distributed through cameras and sound recording.

Synthesis is required for units to reach their final form necessary to reach equilibrium.  This is accomplished by providing spaces for people to sit, stand, or lie down.  Persons must also engage their hearts in prayer and worship.  Musically, it is accomplished through microphones, mixing sound, playing together, singing together, etc.

Storage space is required for matter, energy, and information before they are in use.  Storage rooms are used for musical equipment.  There are other rooms and locations within the building for people who are not currently worshipping in the Prayer Room.

A converter sub-system transforms M-E-I into more acceptable forms for the system.  The Holy Spirit performs a work on receptive hearts.  The Spirit enhances worship in ways that the human heart alone cannot.  The worshipper must submit to the Holy Spirit and engage in the worship process.

Activation triggers dynamic changes in the system’s equilibrium.  Activation in the KC IHOP involves reading, meditating, speaking, and singing the Word of God.  With the Spirit’s guidance the singers and musicians of the worship team activate a response of worship by those in attendance.

A stable, spatial relationship is supported by a system of a floor, ceiling, walls and columns.  The stage provides a platform for the singers and musicians leading the worship.

A reproducer sub-system is responsible for damaged, destroyed, or deteriorating components of the system.  This is the facilities’ overseer.  Instrument cables, instruments, microphones, lights, recording equipment, etc. need to be fixed or replaced from time to time.

Maintaining a healthy, vibrant Prayer Room needs constant monitoring and regulation.  Before singers and musicians engage in a set (a block of time for singing and playing) they brief on what they plan to do under the Spirit’s guidance in a room adjacent to the stage.  When not participating in the Prayer Room worship, all those involved must study the Word, pray, and commit to holy living if the Prayer Room is to function properly.  They must also be open to instruction, criticism, and revelation for improvement of the worship experience.

The KC IHOP is a complex system involving many sub-systems.  However, by systematic analysis, one can make sense of it.  The author hopes that this example of systems analysis may encourage others to try the same on other systems and make their own discoveries.

-B. Temperley, M. Arch. Student

Bibliography

About the Prayer Room. (2011). Retrieved February 19, 2011, from Kansas City International House of Prayer Web Site: http://www.ihop.org/Images/content/201/1000060168.jpg

Ellner, (1981).  Definitions of Critical Sub-systems. Master course in Environmental Design.  Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois.

This past summer, the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC) Master of Architecture students worked on a project entitled the Barack Obama Presidential Library and Museum.  In preparation for our design, we took a trip to Springfield, IL to study the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM).  The trip was informative and gave us a chance to explore other sites of interest in Springfield.

The ALPLM was designed by the architecture firm HOK.  It was dedicated in April 2005.  It consists of two separate buildings-the library and the museum. The exterior of both is clad in a tan-colored limestone from Egypt.  The entrances of the library and museum each feature a rotunda similar to the dome of the Old State Capitol in Springfield.  The design is a mix of traditional and modern.

Our class first toured the library.  The library is primarily a research facility.  It contains material related to many aspects of Illinois’ history. The interior contains beautiful art glass.  It has a Prairie Style feel to it.  Across the street, the museum contains exhibits and galleries.

The Plaza in the center of the museum is a great place for photographs.  You can have your picture taken with life-size statues of the Lincoln family.  In the background is the facade of the south portico of the White House.  The galleries and exhibits cover Lincoln’s life from a boy, to a young lawyer in Springfield, and through his presidency.  I particularly enjoined learning about his Emancipation Proclamation.

As part of a visit to Springfield, I recommend walking by the Old State Capitol to the Feed Store for lunch.  It is a great place for sandwiches and soups.  There is also a Cold Stone Creamery nearby-very tasty.  You will also want to visit the Dana-Thomas House which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1902.  The house is an example of Wright’s Prairie Style.  The house is two stories but has a one story feel due to its horizontal emphasis and low sloped roof.  It would have seemed rather peculiar when it was built as Victorian was more of the fashion.  The eaves have a Japanese look about them.  They appear to angle upward at the corners, but that is an optical allusion.

There is a lot of history in Springfield.  I only touched on a portion  It definitely makes for a good day trip.  Who knows,  it may one day be home to an actual Barack Obama Presidential Library and Museum.

-B. Temperley, M. Arch student

Part of being a Master of Architecture student at SIUC is writing a thesis.  Writing is an often overlooked but important part of being an architect.  It is a skill that undergraduate architecture students will want to reinforce in preparation for graduate work.  Part of a thesis is a written abstract.  An abstract is a brief introduction to inform the reader of what is contained in the thesis.  The following is a draft of the abstract to my thesis:

RESTORING THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID AT CALVARY CAMPUS CHURCH

King David received a vision from the Lord around 1000 B.C. of heavenly worship filled with singers, musicians, and intercessors that occurs before the throne of God continually.  David instituted worship on earth according to his vision.  The result is what the Scriptures call the Tabernacle of David.    The Scriptures record God’s blessing on Israel when they were faithful to the Tabernacle of David and the consequences when they were not.  This thesis will establish the importance of the Tabernacle of David for the Church as it was for the nation of Israel before the coming of Christ.

This thesis will focus on designing a building project to house the Tabernacle of David at Calvary Campus Church in Carbondale, Illinois.  This proposal is for replacing the current church buildings with new ones.  The design will also require purchasing and redeveloping adjacent properties to the current land owned by the church in order to accommodate the program. 

This research will examine case studies from the Bible including Revelation chapter 5, the Prophetess Anna from the book of Luke, and King David from 1 Chronicles.  This research will also study prayer furnaces in operation today such as the Kansas City International House of Prayer (IHOP) which is a twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week (24/7) prayer room.

-B. Temperley, M. Arch. student

We all need a place to relax once in awhile.  Thankfully, SIU has some great places to sit back and rejuvenate in the great outdoors.  The Kumakura Garden is a lovely Japanese garden named after Nobuo Kumakura, the mayor of Nakajo, Japan.  It is located behind the north end of Faner near the Coal Research Center and Old Baptist Foundation.[1] The entrance features a wood, Japanese style gate.  The walking path is paved with stones.  There is a serene koi pond fed by a gently cascading waterfall, over which is a Japanese bridge.  The bridge reminds me of Monet’s “Water Lilies and Japanese Bridge”.  There are benches that tastefully echo the curvature of the bridge.  The landscaping showcases ornamental grasses, Firepower Nandina, Japanese maples, pine trees, natural stones, and miniature pagodas.

A great place to relax is in the Troutt Tea House located within the Kumakura Garden.  It features an octagonal opening and octagonal columns to match.  The roof structure is exposed like a lot of traditional Japanese architecture.  Planted next to the Tea House is bamboo to enhance the Japanese feel.

If you are curious, you can follow the path through the Kumakura Garden and check out Dorothy Morris Gardens located beyond the pond next to Faner.  Dorothy Morris was the wife of SIU President, Delyte Morris.    Be sure to read the plaque to learn more about her and check out her statue.  Keep journeying behind Faner, and you will enter the Museum Sculpture Garden.  You may want to visit the museum in Faner sometime for a break from your studies.  The Sculpture Garden is a pleasant, grassy area featuring sculptures by SIU students.  “The Worm” by Colby Parson-O’Keefe is quite interesting.  You’ll also find a nice view of the Pulliam Hall clock tower.

So, take a break.  Relax outside before it gets too cold.  Have some tea.  Maybe do a little sketching, and enjoy some of the scenic areas of the SIU campus.

-B. Temperley, M. Arch. student

While I was in Chicago for Greenbuild 2010, I had a chance to explore downtown Chicago.  My hotel was in downtown Chicago right off of Michigan Avenue.   After snapping some shots of the skyline, I checked out the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies.  The building, designed by Chicago’s Krueck  + Sexton Architects,  opened in 2007.  The façade is an aluminum and glass curtain wall arranged in a sharp angular fashion.  If you stand outside in front of the entrance and look up you get a good look at the structure that allows for the uneven façade.

Next, I checked out Adler and Sullivan’s Auditorium Building which was completed in 1889.  It is now home to Roosevelt University.  The massive outer walls are made of load-bearing stone.  When it was completed it was the tallest building in the city and the largest building in the United States.[1] I liked how the stones at the base of the exterior walls were rough and uneven.   This makes the building appear as if it is emerging organically from the ground.

I took some photos of my favorite museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, as I walked along Michigan Avenue.  This is a beautiful Beaux Arts building housing a collection of fine art including a large Impressionist collection.  In 2009, a new modern wing designed by Renzo Piano was opened.  It houses 20^th and 21^st century art.[2]

I really enjoyed walking through Millennium Park.  Crown Fountain features two transparent glass brick towers.  The towers light up with different colors and project peoples’ faces on one side.  When the weather is warm there is a reflecting pool between the towers.

Next, I walked by the McCormick Tribune Plaza and Ice Rink and Park Grill to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion designed by Frank Gehry.  This is a bandshell that has 4,000 fixed seats, plus lawn seating for 7,000.[3] The bandshell is very freeform and covered in sheet metal-very characteristic of Gehry.  Behind the bandshell you can get a look at the complex structure required to support the freeform façade.  The colored lights shining on the metal gave a very beautiful appearance.  Steel tubes criss-cross above the grass lawn in order to hold speakers above the lawn.  I would imagine that the sound would be evenly distributed to concert goers.

As I walked behind the Pritzker Pavilion I saw Aqua, an 86-story skyscraper designed by a team led by Jeanne Gang.[4] The façade has an undulating appearance similar to ripples of water.

Next, I walked across BP Pedestrian Bridge over Columbus Drive.  It is the first bridge designed by Frank Gehry to be built.[5] It is a winding bridge that reminds me of a snake.  The deck is made of wood planks, but the sides are covered in Gehry’s typical sheet metal.

Later, I visited “Cloud Gate”, also known as “The Bean”.  It is composed of 168 stainless steel plates welded seamlessly together and highly polished.  It is 33 feet by 66 feet by 42 feet.[6] It is very cool!  You can see reflections of the Chicago skyline in the polished surface.

I wish I had more time to explore, but I only had one night.  There is so much to see in Chicago!

-B. Temperley, M. Arch. student

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Institute_of_Chicago

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Park

[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqua_(skyscraper)

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Park

[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Park

From November 17 – 19 I had the opportunity to attend Greenbuild in Chicago, IL at McCormick Place.  McCormick Place is a huge convention center.   I definitely got my exercise walking around the place.  This was my first time at Greenbuild.  I learned about Greenbuild through the USGBC student group on campus.  USGBC stands for United States Green Building Council.  USGBC is interested in promoting sustainable building practices.

Greenbuild has a great practice of allowing students to attend for free if they agree to volunteer for 8 hrs at the conference.  I volunteered at a recycling station.  There were hundreds of stations and each had 4 bins.  Recycling may sound simple enough, but one Starbucks coffee cup can comprise 5 pieces which go into 3 different bins.  If you are curious, the container is compostable, the lid is a #6 plastic which had to be trashed at Greenbuild, the sleeve is paper, a straw is trash and a wooden stir stick is compostable.  I learned quite a bit about recycling and even began to feel bad about how much trash goes into landfills.  It is a shame that the Styrofoam cups that places like Dunkin’ Donuts sell end up in landfills.  Other volunteer opportunities involved helping people find seats and checking name tags.

When not volunteering, I had the opportunity to attend sessions put on by leaders in sustainable practices.  The presenters were all very smart and professional.  There were many topics to choose from that ranged from calculating your carbon footprint to urban agriculture.

The convention floor had hundreds of exhibitors.  You could spend an entire day trying to see every exhibit.  There were great examples of green roofs, photovoltaic glass, rain water collecting systems, insulating concrete forms and water saving fixtures.  I liked the toilet with a sink above the tank for hand washing.  The water from the sink collects in the tank and can be used for toilet flushing.

I have to admit that my favorite part of Greenbuild was the food.  Each lunch was free for volunteers and catered by the convention center staff.  The food was all organic.   We had lots of healthy fruits and veggies.  Even the cookies and potato chips were organic.  On the final day the volunteers were treated to some Chicago deep dish pizza.  That was probably not organic, but it was very good.

Next year Greenbuild will be in Toronto.  You may want to take advantage of the free admission for students while you can.  This year in Chicago was a good experience, and I am glad that I attended.

-B. Temperley, M. Arch. student