The Iowa Sustainable Village gets solar panels
Kirkwood partners with local industry to become the first community college in Iowa to build and study ‘green’ technology
There have been a lot of new “green” initiatives nationwide recently. From renewable energy sources to increased recycling efforts, Americans are cleaning up their act. But, do these new technologies really work? Are they feasible and as easy to use as traditional materials?
That’s the question Kirkwood Community College hopes to answer with the Iowa Sustainable Village, which will immerse students in hands-on training and serve as a real-time laboratory to test developing technologies.
Fundamentally, the Iowa Sustainability Village will be a cluster of three 1,000-square-foot structures. The buildings will be constructed and finished with industry standard eco-friendly materials. Students learn to use environmentally conscious tools, materials and techniques, then get to see how well it all performs.
“The village is truly a collaborative project, drawing students from all corners of the college,” said Jim Off, long-time Construction Management faculty member at Kirkwood. “Students in several programs are joining together in this one-of-a-kind effort. Many of the construction trades, Architectural Technology, Energy Production and Distribution, Interior Design, Horticulture, and Landscaping Construction and Design students have a hand in building the structures and learning how they can do their part to help the environment.”
Bowker Mechanical, T & K Roofing, Alliant Energy, Kings Material, Windsor Windows, Stetson Building Products, Nelson Electric and Suburban Lumber, along with others, are collaborating with Kirkwood on the Iowa Sustainability Village project. “We want to talk to owners and local builders interested in learning more about the materials and techniques we’ll be using at the village,” Off said. “Plus, our students will leave college already knowing how to handle these materials and how well they perform.”
Students will be working on portions of the Iowa Sustainable Village Thursday, Oct. 17, from 8-10 a.m. On that day, students will complete the building shell.
The media is invited to participate.