sustainability | Kathryn R Jones

In a week and a half my Hospitality Studio is going on a field trip Nashville, Tennessee! I am really excited to get to experience the City of Country Music! We have two days packed full of tours. The plan is to see different hotels, restaurants, and the Nashville Music City Center (MCC). The MCC is LEED Silver Certified!

The Nashville Music City Center is in the middle of downtown Nashville, surrounded by hotels, historical landmarks, fine restaurants, great views, honky tonks (I am especially excited for this), The Ryman (HELLO- the BIRTHPLACE of country music AND the Grand Ole Opry!), art museums, and the Tennessee Titans’ Stadium!

The Music City Center had its groundbreaking on March 22, 2010 and opened in May this year. More than 7,300 people served on the construction team! The building is constructed of 110,000 cubic yards of concrete, 11,000 tons of steel, and 12,000 tons of rebar. The total building square footage is 2.1 million square feet! Included in this number are the following:

-353,143 square foot Exhibit Hall

-90,000 square feet of Meeting Room Space (about 60 rooms)

-57,500 square foot Grand Ballroom

-18,000 square foot Junior Ballroom

-1,800 Parking Spaces

-32 Loading Docks (provide ease & flexibility for convention planners)

-22 Elevators and Escalators

OK we get it. IT’S HUGE! So why is it LEED Silver Certified?

The Music City Center has a Green Roof to reduce the building’s Heat Island Effect. Heat islands are defined as thermal gradient differences between developed and underdeveloped areas (USGBC). The purpose of the Green Roof is to reduce heat islands to minimize the impacts on microclimates and human and wildlife habitats. Basically, dark colored roofs (which you can find a lot of in urban areas) make the environment REALLY hot because the Sun’s rays are being absorbed. Light colored roofs (those with high Solar Reflectance Index Values or SRI Values) make the environment much more comfortable because the Sun’s rays are being reflected back into space. The Green Roof on top of the MCC is the LARGEST in the Southeast, totaling at 4 acres! What’s even cooler is that it was designed to mimic the rolling hills of Tennessee. There are 14 different types of vegetation on the roof, all native to the state. The plants help to absorb rainwater which helps with reducing storm water runoff. The roof helps to absorb heat and insulate the Music City Center, which drastically helps to save on heating and cooling costs throughout the year. There is even a guitar on the top! I could go on and on!

The Nashville Music City Center is committed to supporting and encouraging sustainable practices, including the hosting of environmentally-friendly “green” meetings in the facility. The Music City Center has used the following practices to minimize its carbon footprint:

heating/cooling via steam/chilled water
energy management software
low-flow automatic faucets/flush valves
automatic soap/paper towel dispensers
environmentally-responsible cleaning products/supplies
donation of excess food
donation of unclaimed lost/found items to the local rescue mission

Other things to contribute to the Music City Center’s LEED Silver Certification are:

Solar Panels– 200-kilowatt solar panel grid made up of 845 panels

Rain Water Collection Tank– 360,000 gallon tank that provides water to more than 500 toilets and urinals in the building and the irrigation for the outdoor landscaping

Water Consumption– The rain water collection cistern combined with the water saved by the low-flow toilets, urinals, and faucets have reduced the building’s water usage by 40%! That is incredible for such a large facility!

Recycling plays a very important role at the Music City Center. MCC provides recycling containers for:

-Cardboard, Mixed Paper, & other Paper Products

-Aluminum

-Plastic

-Pallets & Wood Waste

-Toner/Print Cartridges

-Batteries

-Fluorescent Light Bulbs

-Food Waste

-Electronics

It’s so great to see more and more buildings becoming LEED Certified. The Music City Center is a state-of-the-art facility! I will be sure to post some pictures after we go on our visit!!!

References

http://nashvilleconventionctr.com/index.htm

Click to access sustainability_flyer_0.pdf

http://www.usgbc.org/node/1731100

As I’m sitting in front of my computer with my “TO-DO” list out, all I can do is sigh. The first exams of the year have begun. The studying is real. The stress levels are rising. It’s time to buckle down and get ready for yet ANOTHER sleepless semester. This is about the time when I start to question my career path decisions…

Why am I completing this major? Why do I do this to myself? Why does it matter? WHY??!!?!!?!!!?!

In the United States, schools that receive accreditation by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) are considered to hold the highest standards of education that practitioners deem valuable for future employees. Many, if not ALL firms seek employees that hold degrees from these accredited programs. I’m so fortunate to be a part of Auburn University’s Interior Design Program. Did you know, in 2012, we were ranked the #1 Interior Design School in the NATION by DesignIntelligence Magazine?! That’s some serious stuff. No wonder my classes are so challenging AND time-consuming. I’m learning how to be the BEST from the BEST instructors!

Interior Design is so much more than “making things pretty” or picking out paint colors OR that dreaded word…”DECORATING”.

Interior Designers use the Americans with Disabilities Act as a guide to implement Universal Design. By designing spaces “universally”, we are to able create accessible and safe spaces for those who are handi-capabale, making it easier for them to carry-out everyday tasks. Have you ever had to get around in a wheelchair or on crutches? Or had some sort of eye condition that limited your sight? In one of my studios, we had to do various exercises to see what it would be like to get around in a wheelchair or to have an eye disease, such as glaucoma. (I can’t believe I’m about to post these pictures- I look silly with these goggles on…) Universal Design is SO important, and as an Interior Designer, I make it my first priority.

Another topic associated with Universal Design is “Aging in Place”. Aging in Place allows older generations to remain in their homes longer instead of moving to a nursing or retirement home. Aging in Place improves our ability to live safely and comfortably in our homes as we get older. Homes that are suitable for aging in place are those that are “accessible” to us as our mobility decreases. Single story homes are considered very safe and accessible for older generations because there are no stairs to climb to a second level. Stairs can be very dangerous for older people. However, multi-level homes with a master bedroom on the first floor or homes with an elevator are also accessible and are suitable for aging in place. The most common features of accessible homes are the absence of stairs, good lighting, wide doorways (for walkers and wheelchairs), walk-in showers or baths, and appropriate handle bars for the toilet and shower/bath areas.

As a designer it’s also very important to create better schools to help our children and young adults learn. 20% of America’s population goes to school every weekday and school buildings represent the largest construction sector in America. Students are able to achieve more by thriving in well-designed, safe, and healthy environments. By focusing on classroom acoustics, master planning, improved ventilation, temperature control, mold prevention, daylighting/lighting and other issues we are able to provide high-performing facilities which results in high-performing students! When following the standards set by LEED for Schools, Green Schools are built and designed with strategies that aim to improve Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), which is directly related to improved student health and attendance, higher test scores, and teacher retention.

Which takes me to one of the most important topics associated with Interior Design: Sustainability. “Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations. Sustainability is important to making sure that we have and will continue to have water, materials, and resources to protect human health and our environment.” Sustainable design is also known as environmental design, environmentally sustainable design, environmentally conscious design, etc. Sustainable design is the philosophy of designing the built environment to comply with the principles of social, economic, and ecological sustainability: The Triple Bottom Line, also known as the 3 Ps: People, Profit, and Planet.

I’m currently in the process of earning a minor in Sustainability. I earned my LEED Green Associate Accreditation this past May (2013) and would like to become a LEED Accredited Professional. Sustainability is the ability to support local communities, save resources and help protect our environment. As designers, we owe it to our community, our clients, and future generations to reuse, recycle, and make wise design choices when it comes to our use of materials, furniture, fixtures, and equipment.

So ALL of the above are reasons why I want to pursue a major in Interior Design. And ALL of these sleepless nights will be SO worth it when I walk across that stage and receive my diploma!!!

Video: Why Interior Design Matters- Radford University