Institute for Environmental Studies Launched Green Pavilion at 2009 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial

Fort Worth, TX

12/10/2009

TCU’s Institute for Environmental Studies launched the Green Pavilion at the 2009 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Country Club on May 25 – 31, 2009. The ‘green’ pavilion, which was located on the first fairway, is a modular structure completely powered by wind and solar energy and includes a living roof adapted to the North Texas climate. This portable structure can handle the weight of the roof, with flexible options for installing wind and solar power generators, while providing comfortable shelter, and framing views of golfers nearby – all integrated into an eye-catching structure.

Dr. Mike Slattery, director of the Institute of Environmental Studies, along with TCU professors Tony Burgess, Cam Schoepp and Chris Powell, spent the past three months working with architects, designers, welders, botanists, and TCU students to build the pavilion.

“This is a remarkable achievement”, said Slattery, “not simply because the structure is primarily green, but because it shows that elegant solutions can be found to some of our most pressing problems. Every day we occupy more of the land, pollute more of the air and water, and disrupt more of the planet’s wilderness and once pristine ecosystems. While basic science and economics are important, I believe adequate solutions to environmental problems also require well-informed ethical, aesthetic, and cultural perspectives. Our pavilion speaks to that, and raises the question: how do we achieve a balance among human values and interests and our obligations and responsibilities to nature?”

For funding, TCU’s Institute for Environmental Studies is partnering with NextEra Energy Resources through their EarthEra Climate-Friendly Solutions initiative, which will allow pavilion visitors to join others in accelerating new renewable energy construction through a renewable energy trust.