Week eighteen was the week of our Open House, so we felt the pressure to complete as much as possible. The HydroSwing door arrived and was attached directly above our sliding glass doors. Spanning 36 feet, this hydraulic door system rotates 90 degrees to be a canopy, allowing for an outside public gathering area underneath its protection. After the installation of the HydroSwing, we were able to complete the placement of glass on the south side. This 3/8" thick, tempered, green glass is a product of Vitro America, one of our biggest supporters, as well as a leader in glass production throughout the United States. All 260 panels are held off from the building by an intricate system of spring clips, rubber washers, vinyl spacers, threaded bolts, and Unistrut.

On site, we laid over 28,000 square feet of sod. By using native or adapted vegetation, in our case, Buffalo Grass, we have the ability to gain one LEED point under the topic, Protect or Restore Habitat. Native/adapted plants do not require much active maintenance or chemical inputs such as fertilizer. So, in this way we are promoting biodiversity, while also avoiding the release of harmful objects into the environment. On the roof, we placed our green grid roof modules in an orderly fashion. We have 141 2’x4’ modules and 11 2’x2’ modules. By having at least 50 percent of the roof area contain vegetation, we are able to reduce the suns impact upon the roof surface, reducing a process known as the heat island effect. This gives us the possibility of achieving one LEED point in the Sustainable Sites category. Also this week, our concrete work came to an end, with the final pour being our sidewalks and ramp to the entry door.

May 4th, 2008 was Studio 804’s Open House, the grand Opening of the 5.4.7 Arts Center. Inside, the first show displays photographs from the process of building our sustainable prototype. These photos read as a filmstrip that runs along the gallery walls. The show will remain for viewing during the following weeks.