Monthly Archives: October 2009

Solar Decathlon Participant Response – Part 2 of 2

I recently spoke with Cornell University Solar Decathlon participant Spencer Lapp about his reactions to the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition, which ended on October 16, 2009. Lapp’s primary focus was to design the kitchen appliance module for the Cornell house, and also assisted with construction and other duties during the 2008-2009 academic year. He attended the competition in Washington, D.C. with the Cornell team, where the house placed 7th out of twenty. Technische Universität Darmstadt (Team Germany) were the overall winners, presenting a rectangular, two-story design they called “surPLUShome.”

Discussing the experience on the National Mall, Lapp was generally impressed by the variety of designs. Organization is an important aspect of a successful and competitive house (especially in areas like leadership, public relations, communication, and transportation); Lapp thought that each team handled their logistical issues skillfully, and competed with both rigor and courtesy.

By getting so many students from so many different parts of the globe involved, the competition succeeds in raising awareness about current problems in design efficiency. In the 2009 competition, the crucial event was “Net Metering,” in which the house is fitted with a meter to calculate its energy output. These numbers were tabulated on the last day of the competition, and decided the overall winner. Lapp suggests that while energy output is important to each solar house, the competition is weighted too heavily in this particular event. In his opinion, in coming years, the Department of Energy could think about redistributing the points in the ten different competitions to give more importance to issues like architecture and engineering. Currently, the Architecture and Engineering events (along with five others) are scored out of 100 points, while the Net Metering competition is scored out of 150 possible points. The remaining two events are scored out of 75 points. This means that Net Metering accounts for 15% of a team’s total score, which Lapp feels is too much.

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Rice University's ZEROW HOUSE

One issue that Lapp feels was not addressed properly was that of cost efficiency. He said that Rice University, for example, created a functional and livable home called ZEROW HOUSE for about $100,000, but placed 8th in the competition after attaining a low score in the Home Entertainment event. This particular event requires that the solar home provide power to a television and computer for a specified period of time. The affordability of the home was thus trumped by its poor score in an event that caters to the more frivolous items in the home. On the Solar decathlon website, the Rice University team describes their project: “Instead of building a house just for the competition, [we] designed a home they could give back to the community. The team has already negotiated an agreement with Project Row Houses, a local community development organization, to give the ZEROW HOUSE a permanent home in Houston’s Third Ward after the competition.” ZEROW HOUSE was the only competition entry to cost less than $250,000. By contrast, the winning house cost in the range of $650,000 – $850,000.

When discussing the judging, Lapp said that he would have liked more feedback on particular events, especially in Architecture. He also suggested that, while the single-family residence is a good place for students to innovate, the ideas about energy efficiency could be expanded to building types that are not privately-owned. Community centers, schools, libraries, museums, and other civic institutions would benefit greatly from the ideas that the Solar Decathlon competition generates. Lapp hopes that in the future, the competition will encourage the use of solar efficiency beyond the home.

El Sistema Comes to the U.S.

jabreu_lg

Dr. Abreu, image courtesy of www.tedprize.org

The now world-famous educational program that has revolutionized music education and brought us super stars like Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra has finally arrived in the United States.  The New England Conservatory of Music, located in Boston, has been exploring this partnership for several years. Dr. José Antonio Abreu, the founder of the Venezuelan based foundation, was awarded an honorary doctorate by the conservatory in 2002, and in 2007, the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra under the direction of ‘the Dude’ himself performed at NEC’s Jordan Hall.

The program, titled El Sistema USA, is beginning by educating 50 ‘fellows’ over the next 5 years, who will each institute “núcleos” around the country, typically where music education is limited or non-existent. The first class of ten arrived in Boston for the start of classes last week, and their diverse backgrounds and common desire to replicate the ingenious program make for a hopeful and exciting group of folks.

I am, admittedly, a cynic in many things, and tend not to be caught up in hyped-up news items. But I have to say, I’ve never felt so hopeful, nay, joyful, about anything of this nature. This fresh approach of music education represents not simply a positive change for music education, or even for classical music, but ultimately for American society. I am neither the first nor the last to do so, but with all my heart, I wish those 10 students at NEC the very best of luck in this most important mission.

Visa Regulations: Straining Cultural Exchange in America

Taiwan+Visa+ApplicationAs a way to organize my thoughts for an upcoming presentation, and also for the erudition of you, the faithful readership, I’d like to discuss visa restrictions in the U.S., with a primary focus on artists.

The current process for acquiring work visas for international artists is unnecessarily long, difficult, costly of time and money, predicated largely on whim and objective decision, and carries no guarantee for success. The economic effects of receiving a rejected visa application can be devastating for both the traveling artist and the host organization. Furthermore, the application processing time line precludes the possibility of a “back-up plan” since the application process is so lengthy.

I understand the perceived need for border security and protection against defectors, but this issue not only represents a strain on cultural organizations, particularly world music organizations, who rely on talent from abroad, but also sends an extraordinarily-negative message about the American opinion of art and cultural exchange. Now, as it did during each of the previous wars in which the U.S. was involved, art needs to serve as an ambassador (think van Kliburn, Bernstein, Maya Lin).

Here are some suggestions for reform, courtesy of Americans for the Arts:

-UCIS visa application forms O and P should be updated to more accurately reflect the nature of artists’ work.

-Training of UCIS employees should be reorganized and made uniform so as to eliminate bias and objectivity where possible.

-Reduce the application turn-around time and Premium Processing fee (currently $1,000) to reduce economic risk to struggling arts organizations.

To advocate for this issue, contact your state congressman or Americans for the Arts representative.

Solar Powered Homes Grace the Grounds of the National Mall – Part 1 of 2

This week marks the bi-annual Solar Decathlon competition, a design/build contest for college and university students across the world. Hosted by the federal Department of Energy, the Decathlon challenges student teams to design and build an entirely solar-powered residence. Ten competitive categories, from design and engineering to efficiency and marketing, offer a wide range of problems for students to collaboratively solve. This week, twenty single-family houses have been set up on the National Mall to offer provocative and diverse solutions to the problems of design efficiency.

Team California's competition entry (Stefano Paltera/US Dept. of Energy Solar Decathlon)

Team California's competition entry (Stefano Paltera/US Dept. of Energy Solar Decathlon)

The Decathlon project began in 2002 with fourteen competing teams from the U.S. and Puerto Rico, and in the last few years has expanded to include teams from Spain, Germany, and Canada. Students are given two years to design and produce a solar-powered single-family residence, which must be built and tested locally and then disassembled, shipped to Washington, D.C., and reassembled for the competition. The houses include sleeping, dining, entertainment, leisure, and garden spaces. This year, the houses must provide dinner and a movie for a party of eight. Houses should adapt to day and night conditions, storing energy from the sun during the day and expending that energy for heating and cooling, hot water, and electricity during the day and night.

The competition highlights the need for young architects to discuss and discover new methods of energy efficiency; moreover, it shows that architectural aesthetics need not be sacrificed for the sake of efficiency. A number of designs this year move beyond the typical “box house” to create more varied and interesting plans. Collaboration is extremely important, and many of the teams consist of undergraduates and graduate students, representing architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, engineering, and business. In some cases, students from two schools in the same region have teamed up to compete.

The "rustic-chic" Cornell University entry (Photo: www.solardecathlon.org)

The "rustic-chic" Cornell University entry (Photo: www.solardecathlon.org)

On October 16, there will be a clear winner, but the goal of the competition is to articulate ideas about how to create livable space that relies on resources that already exist. For example, students are encouraged to reclaim materials (such as wood and metal) from existing buildings and use them for interior and exterior finishes in their competition designs. The team from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign took wood from a Midwestern barn and used it as exterior siding for their house; Cornell University reclaimed wood from bourbon barrels to create living room furniture. The Decathlon supports student ideas and generates awareness about energy efficiency, which, as we move into the 21st century, will become a more pressing need.

Fiscal Responsibility and the Arts

Soprano Kelly Kaduce in the 2009 OTSL production of "Salome"

Soprano Kelly Kaduce in the 2009 OTSL production of "Salome"

Just in the nick of time, and just as has always happened, a new class of arts administrators are coming to the fore with creative solutions to their organization’s financial woes. This is not a new concept, as arts leaders have been constant observers of the duel bottom line (finances vs. artistic integrity). If they hadn’t, we’d be in a very different place today. The shiny side of the dull, recession-weary penny is that the arts are doing more with less, and are reflecting on their products, taking nothing for granted.

The Opera Theatre of St. Louis recently announced their 34th consecutive season ending with a balanced budget while still producing one of their most artistically pleasing seasons yet. Boston Lyric Opera overcame a significant deficit to balance the budget, and added productions in the process. These are, of course, the happy stories, which are unrepresentative of the larger picture. Several visual and performing arts institutions folded, and not always as a result of mismanagement.

So what makes some companies float while others flounder? No idea. But the thing that arts organizations who survive such times as these all seem to recognize is that, as the famed dramaturg John Conklin writes, “Adverse circumstances offer surprising opportunities to distinguish a Company and build more meaningful relationships with audiences, providing a strong foundation of fiscal responsibility and dedicated stakeholders exists.”

The Nutcrackers and La bohème’s that I so frequently decry are not the foundations of great art, but the crutch upon which we think we must rely. Creativity and responsible management are the true solution.

The Case for New Productions

For every art form and medium, the artist must constantly strive for progress. Even now, our Enlightened forefathers call out, “Macht Neue!” from their graves. Whether this means birthing new works, or finding ways to translate celebrated masterpieces, artists and patrons must now, more than ever, seek to enliven the progress of art.

The focal point of this discussion is, of course, the Metropolitan Opera’s opening production of Puccini’s Tosca, and the many and varied responses to it. Perhaps the most striking an cogent of these responses came from the Met’s Peter Gelb and from the NY Times columnist Anthony Tommasini, who fire a shot across the bows of opera WAGs everywhere: art moves forward, so get over it!

Especially now, as art in America is once again shunted to one side so that ‘the necessities’ can be supported, art administrators and especially patrons play a key role in calling for that which will make art relevant and vital; new works. The logistical considerations of new productions whilst the box office numbers are in the tank are numerous, but another Monet exhibition, Nutcracker, or Beethoven cycle, will do little for the arts in the long run.

If I were to have the privilege of reading a music history text a hundred years after my death, I for one would like to see more from our time than nostalgia and cautious subsistence.

The Fine Arts of Introduction and Audition

Each year as yet another class of conservatory students are unleashed upon the cultural organizations of the world, a terrifying conclusion is struck upon – there simply aren’t enough gigs. Never mind your wunderkind, mind-blowing, haven’t-seen-anything-like-this-since-Mozart talent. There are thousands more where you came from, and you and your student loans will just have to wait for the 78-year-old section violinists to die off before assuming 362nd chair of your regional orchestra’s sub list.

Check out all these volunteers

Check out all these volunteers - the Metropolitan Opera House 2007 production of 'War and Peace' used 227 Volunteers

Hyperbolic? Perhaps, but the point I’m trying to get across is that successful careers in the arts are made by more than talent. Especially in regional arts markets such as Minneapolis, Austin, Philadelphia, and to a lesser extent, Boston, aspiring professional musicians and artists have the dual benefit and curse of being able to know everyone in town- and for everyone to know them. This is where the art of the introduction and audition come into play.

For a typical artistic administrator, 99% of the bit roles, chorus spots, and spare audition opportunities (you know, the kind of gigs recent grads get) are offered on the basis of name familiarity, rumor, and hearsay. It’s hard to get a company introduction, and even harder to make a good impression when all they have is your resume, a headshot, and perhaps a recording, which won’t be listened to. For this reason, I call upon the aspiring artists of the world to think small. Especially now, when it is so hard to make a decent living in the arts, think about the ways you can present your name and your face.

Volunteer for supernumerary roles, help at the open house, accept a chorus spot even though you’ve moved on in your career, offer to help copy music! Glamorous? No. The absolute best way to gain experience and be introduced? Definitely. We are not so fortunate as our preceding generation to have graduated into a booming economy where dreams come true over night and the next promotion is just around the corner. If you don’t think you’ll be recognized for these little things, trying Google searching for “managing generation x”, and tell me if the amount of material you find doesn’t point to a certain yearning for the employees of yesteryear by the upper management Boomers.

It’s a tough proposition, but there are more people than ever working towards a career in the arts. Those of us who are too proud to role up our sleeves will quickly be out of work.

The Study of Architecture

delirious ny

In Delirious New York (1997), Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas re-imagines the modern city in the Manhattan grid

by Aneesha Dharwadker

An education in architecture requires patience, stamina, and certain amount of finesse. As a student, I managed to learn something of all three, primarily in the context of the design studio. I studied in a five-year professional program in a small town in central New York, where I could not help but concentrate on my work. Cornell University is rather like a mountain kingdom from another time, and its architecture program is saturated in a formalist pedagogy of the 1970s. While the curriculum is rigid, there is certainly room for experimentation. And, perhaps most importantly, there is the opportunity to experience the world and bring new ideas back to the studio.

In the year between May 2007 and May 2008, I traveled extensively through Europe and India as both an independent researcher and a study abroad student. This year was an experiment in comparative urbanisms: my understanding of design matured dramatically through an immersion in different eastern and western cities. While I spent the majority of my time in New Delhi, India, and Rome, Italy, there were smaller places in between where I gained a great appreciation for what design has accomplished (especially during modernism) and what design might be today. It was the time abroad that cleared my head, and allowed me to refine ideas about the relationship of architecture to culture and how that affects the formation of the modern city.

Understanding the role of architecture in the 21st century will ultimately derive from understanding the role of cities as global participants. These are the sites of social, political, and economic import, and of historical and cultural density. Urban architecture is a manifestation of this density (manifest density, if you will), and today, the architecture takes on multiple responsibilities. In addition to acting as cultural and geographical icons, buildings today attempt to sustain themselves naturally, taking advantage pre-existing conditions, like sun and wind, and harnessing them for energy. Architecture must deal with aesthetic and practical issues simultaneously, and as we continually put strain on our resources, the need for this balance is all the more pressing. It is in the cities that these ideas have already begun to appear and develop, and at the rate that we now exchange information, the ideas can spread globally in a moment.

We are at a turning point now, where architecture must accept multiple responsibilities with global implications. As a student of architecture, I have found new and exciting ways to look at cities, and to see design as one of many actors in urban culture. It is important to keep a critical eye—as students we are taught not simply to be designers, but to constantly think, see, and draw analytically. And, of course, to perpetuate the critical discourse.