Building Renovations: Phase 2
Friday, February 26, 2010
Blog entry by Ambrea Kuhn, The Leonardo's Intern
The building renovations, which began in early October, are progressing quickly. The construction crew has gutted the building, removed outdated light fixtures, pulled the carpeting, and nixed all asbestos. The second (and longest) phase of the renovations, seismic upgrades, started in October and is really cruising now. Phase two consists of installing reinforcement bracing throughout the building and enclosing one of the old staircases to place a strengthening beam.
Staircase removal, as seen from the main floor
Staircase removal as seen from the first basement
Remnants of the last stairway excavation.
Builders started out marking the floors of each level where the buckling restrained brace, BRBs or cross beams, will be installed. These beams are part of the seismic upgrades that strengthen the building in the event of an earthquake. The beams are installed from the floor of the sub-basement to the top of the roof, with one set of beams on each of the four building sides. Most of the beams will be visible inside the building after construction is finished.
Spray paint marks the area for the cross beams. The round hole goes from the ceiling to the basement.
After the cross beams are installed, we will move onto general renovations with light fixtures, putting the ceiling back in place and -- of course -- installing exhibits for our opening!
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Become a fan of The Leonardo on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!
Labels: Leo, renovation, sustainability
GASLAND
Friday, January 29, 2010
Blog entry by Ambrea Kuhn, The Leonardo's Intern
Every year in Sundance's documentary competition, stand-out movies feature environmental impact topics. The premiere of An Inconvenient Truth in 2006 started this tradition. Some movies show how our environment is changing (Climate Refugees, 2010), and others show us what we can do to change (No Impact Man, 2009).
This year, however, one documentary stood above the rest. GASLAND, about natural gas drilling, got its start when a company offered Director Josh Fox a substantial amount of money to lease his land in Milanville, Penn., for natural gas drilling.
Fox initially planned a 5-minute short that would show how natural gas drilling worked and what kind of impact it would have. However, that small tasked turned into a huge project after he found out that fracking, the process they use to extract natural gas, was contaminating the natural watershed. As Fox traveled around the country he found that in almost every town near drilling, drinking water had been contaminated with...well, too many chemicals to name.
Be sure to check out GASLAND when it is released, or you can try for tickets to the last showing -- 8:30 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 30 at the Prospector Square Theatre. For more information on fracking (or hydraulic fracturing), and to support restrictions on this process, visit WaterUnderAttack.com
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Labels: energy, environment, science, sustainability, video
Cashing in on Green (Energy)!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Blog entry by Ambrea Kuhn, The Leonardo's Fall 2009 Intern
Bob Barson, executive director at the Center for Active Sensing and Imaging at Utah State University, showed us how CASI uses new technologies to improve wind energies, including pinpointing the best spots for new wind turbines. Nathan Furr, from the business management department at Brigham Young University, discussed the importance of an entrepreneurial spirit in energy innovation. Kent Udell from the University of Utah talked about using heat banking to store our currently bitter cold weather to air condition buildings on hot summer days (and storing heat from those 105-degree days to comfort us in this 9-degree weather!).
A 10-minute presentation from each speaker sprinkled with questions from the audience and some friendly moderation from the Salt Lake Tribune's Kirsten Stewart made for a successful and lively evening where audience members got to participate in the discussion about what will make Utah a better innovation center in green energy. Stay tuned for details about our next Leonardo After Hours, which will be March 9.
Labels: energy, events, Leo, sustainability, technology, USTAR, video
Building Renovations: Phase 1
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Blog entry by Ambrea Kuhn, The Leonardo's Fall 2009 Intern
The Leonardo building renovations are well underway! Last week I was able to check out the progress that has already been made. The renovations started in October with asbestos removal.
Worker exiting sectioned off area.
Loading the huge truck with bags of asbestos.
Our favorite part of the renovations is the bright orange carpet is gone!
Here's a short video detailing what will be upgraded .
After the asbestos removal is finished seismic upgrades will begin. Next, they'll upgrade some of the building's systems and other general improvements. After that, The Leonardo will move in to install our exhibits. All of that will wrap up just in time for opening day-- April, 15 2011, which also happens to be Leonardo da Vinci's 557th birthday.
Labels: Leo, renovation, sustainability, video
James Balog and Extreme Ice Survey
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Blog entry by Ambrea Kuhn, The Leonardo's Fall 2009 Intern
Here at the Leonardo we are working on making our building environmentally friendly and sustainable. Peaceful Uprising, a Utah organization, is also focused on protecting our future and environment from climate change. Peaceful Uprising is bringing renowned photographer James Balog to Salt Lake City.
It has been made clear that climate change is melting glaciers all over the planet. However, James Balog believes knowing and actually seeing are two different things. James Balog, an adventurer and nature photographer, set out in 2005 to photograph many of the worlds glaciers. Time lapse cameras were used to show the rapid rate at which glaciers are melting. In just over two years, the photographs show dramatic changes in the landscaping all over the world.
James Balog will be giving a free lecture about his "Extreme Ice Survey" at the University of Utah Fine Arts Auditorium on Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. Balog will be available after the lecture to sign his newly released book, Extreme Ice Now. You can also watch James' entire one-hour PBS special, Extreme Ice.
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Labels: art, photography, science, sustainability
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