The Arts Center will consist of a cluster of three buildings, covered walkways and a canopied event space clustered around the long and narrow 10 acre site. The entrance is highlighted by the emergence of the methane pipeline from the ground. The elevated pipeline acts as a visual aid and pathway that directs the visitor back into the site where they pass through or into the Education building. From the education building the visitor continues via covered walkways to the gallery and event building, or the artists’ studio building and greenhouse at the back. In tandem with the pipeline is a continuous Rammed Earth wall poured and cured from organic compounds. The wall follows the path and forms a monolithic thermal mass that divides the indoor and outdoor spaces, supports cantilevered walkways, and provides passage for the pipeline from the front of the site to the back. The wall is also a large threshold through which the visitor passes when leaving on building or entering another.
The three buildings are built with sustainability and economy in mind. Each building is shelled with pre-fabricated Structural Insulated Panels. The panels have a high recycled content and minimize materials, trades and waste. Openings in the buildings are treated with a lightweight, thermally efficient translucent polycarbonate glazing system. Roofs and walls have a highly reflective surface that keeps surfaces cool and prevents heat absorption. In addition, mechanical systems in the studios harvest the hot air from the glass ‘hot shop’, then filter and redistribute the air evenly via an Energy Recovery Ventilator located in the building’s silo. Finally, the methane pipeline is an endless renewable energy source from the adjacent landfill that powers the equipment used in the studios.
Behind the studios is a fully operational green house that harvests filtered greywater from the sites existing pond. The used water is discharged to a retention tank upstream where the water is slowly released for natural sedimentary filtration as it makes it way back to the pond, readily recycled for another of use in the greenhouse.
With a rich special arrangement of buildings, a sustainable approach to construction, and a respectful nod to the regional built environment, The Ohio Valley Creative Energy project will provide a long lasting contribution to the Indiana region and the users alike.
