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COURIER photo/Gabriel Fenoy
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| Members of the environmental group Team Green from Claremont High School meet at Cahuilla Park where they hope to build an eco-friendly adobe structure. |
Dome met with mixed reviews
A big Spanish style dome painted in colorful murals with the highest standards of sustainable design could become a permanent fixture at Cahuilla Park, just north of Claremont High School.
That is the hope of a group of local high school and college students, who have formed their own environmental group called Team Green. For months, the young activists have been floating their earthy vision to various organizations around town, trying to rally support for the idea.
The single-story adobe structure would encompass roughly 2200 square feet of land, surrounded by a garden with native plant life. Inside, Team Green envisions 3 small office rooms, an interviewing room, 2 large community meeting areas as well as gallery spaces and a kitchenette. It would be located on an empty plot of grass near Taylor Hall and the Youth Activity Center.
The walls consist of biodegradable bags filled with dirt taken directly from the earth below and covered in plaster. The ceilings are curved, and the overall design allows for natural heating and lighting from the sun.
On top of the building will be another garden. The kitchen will have a solar oven. The bathroom will have a waterless toilet. Everything will be as green as possible.
“We want to show what youth can do to initiate change and inspire others to cleanup our environment,” said Megan Hafner, a founding member of Team Green.
Ms. Hafner described the building as a potential community center where groups and individuals can host meetings, visit their museum and learn about sustainable living as well as a hang-out spot for high school students.
But in order for their dreams to turn into reality, Team Green has to win over the city council, as Cahuilla Park remains city property. An initial discussion on the dome was met with lukewarm support from the council, which raised several questions about the proposal.
Team Green is working together on the project with the local non-profit organization, Uncommon Good, which plans to relocate their office inside the structure. Currently operating on the campus of Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, Uncommon Good staff is excited about the prospect of making the dome their new home.
“It really would be a landmark building in Claremont that would show how we can reduce our harmful impact on the environment,” said Nancy Mintie, executive director of Uncommon Good. (story continues below)
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Photo special to the COURIER
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| The interior of Team Green’s proposed dome structure would look similar to this existing dome, modeled after the design of renowned architect Nader Kahlili. |
Ms. Mintie estimated the cost of the project at $280,000. Her organization will not begin searching out donors or grants until after receiving the go-ahead from the city, she said.
The structure will be modeled after the work of renowned architect Nader Kahlili, who developed his design while researching potential human settlements on the moon and Mars for NASA.
The structures have been built at various locations throughout the world, Ms. Mintie said, with the nearest prototype in Hesperia. Team Green is planning another fieldtrip to visit the location over the weekend.
But the council had its doubts. Questions were raised why the structure could not be built on School District property, at the Claremont Colleges or at the Botanic Gardens. Council members said they simply did not have enough information about the project and feared that “the devil is in the details.”
Despite reservations, the council voted 3 to 2 in favor of allowing city staff to enter into negotiations with the interested parties about a leasing agreement for the project. Ms. Mintie said she is hopeful to get favorable terms for the property, given the nature and mission of the project.
After the negotiations, the city council will again discuss the potential project and make a final decision on its future. Several students who attended the city council meeting Tuesday night will likely return in full force, hoping their pleas will make a difference.
“This planet is important to me and my friends, and it is my generation that is going to be responsible for cleaning it up and making the environment a better place for everyone,” said Aldo Rodriguez, a Team Green member. “I know that this project is going to accomplish all of that and more and I hope that is able to happen.”
—Tony Krickl
