Week seventeen saw the near completion of the roof, including the installation of the skylights, gutters, downspouts, and PV panels. All that remains is the placement of the green roof modules. Other completed tasks include the backfilling of the plinth, the security of the steel structure for the Hydroswing door, and the tiling of the bathroom. We poured concrete into forms for a bike storage rack and began the tedious task of site grading. The site slopes from the east to the west, so our drainage system follows this natural tendency accordingly.

With the end of the week came the rising of our 3 wind turbines. These Kestrel e150s, built in South Africa and shipped to the United States via air, just for our project, each produce 750 watts, resulting in a total production of 3,000 kilowatt hours per year. The monopole towers require no guy wires and are products of Southwest Wind Power out of Arizona. Being 35’ tall and having 6 blades, the solid white turbines were tilted up, one by one, to their final positions—just northwest of the building. Our turbines incorporate technologies that are just getting started in the United States. These brushless turbines use magnets instead, require no maintenance, and are equipped with a regulator that slows them down during a strong wind storm so that they will not overextend their gears. By incorporating active systems in our project, we are able to attempt LEED Platinum certification, since many LEED points pertain to energy and the atmosphere.

Next Sunday, May 4th, 2008, Studio 804 will introduce our Sustainable Prototype as the 5.4.7 Arts Center to the people of Greensburg, Kansas and surrounding communities. We invite you to the open house and welcome you to help us celebrate the rebuilding of Greensburg with the Grand Opening of the 5.4.7 Arts Center. Our site, 204 West Wisconsin Street, is two blocks south of Highway 54, at the intersection of Sycamore and Wisconsin Streets. Join us from 2pm to 8pm, with introductions at 5pm.