Dans Papers - May 25, 2007

The AIA Peconic, one of the American Institute of Architects' newest chapters, has launched "The Duck Project," in an effort to preserve and conserve the historic Black Duck Lodge on Route 24 in Flanders. This 500-acre site, within a contiguous 5,000-acre Suffolk County pine forest water recharge district, contains old cottages, including E.F. Hutton's former hunting lodge. It is also located near the famous icon, "The Big Duck."

Eva Growney, of Amagansett, and a member of the Peconic AIA, has been leading this effort, with the intention of creating Long Island's first educational/environmental study center. "This beautiful property has ponds and creeks that open to the Peconic Estuary System, with trails, woods, waterfowl, wildlife and a fossil forest," she explained. "It is in the Township of Southampton, and it would make a perfect study center for students to learn about the Long Island environment also renewable energy systems."

Growney's chapter received a $10,000 grant from the American Institute of Architects several months ago for a feasibility study on this project, as part of their AIA 150 Blueprint for America chapter initiative. Part of their 150-year celebration, is to do feasibility studies on community projects, such as this, across America. Working collaboratively with government and business leaders, they hope to share basic design principles, dialogue with citizens, identifying neighborhood conditions in need of improvement, and demonstrating the visionary role of architects in creating a better way of life for all "I was so excited that our tiny, two year- old East End chapter competed with 300 other chapters across the U.S., and was given this grant on Long Island," said Growney. "That says something about the importance of our natural resources."

So far, Growney has gotten a total of $100,000 in commitments from New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, who gave $5,000 to date, from Suffolk County, which has committed $50,000, from Southampton Town ($10,000), from LIPA, who gave $10,000, and from local environmental groups, including the Group for the South Fork, which gave $3,000. State Assemblyman Steve Engelbright walked the grounds of the "Duck Project" with Growney for four hours, pointing out the natural habitat and fossil forest areas worth preserving, which are unique to the East End.

"Government officials have contributed greatly in terms of their enthusiasm and their knowledge, and we're really making headway," said Growney. "It's encouraging that local celebrities who have houses in the Hamptons are realizing the value of this project, as well as local business people."

She has also garnered the support and interest of Stonybrook University, which took over Southampton College, and which is planning to open a school that's based on sustainability and "green architecture," which is what the "Duck Project" is about. Dr. Martin Schoonen, Interim Dean at Stonybrook University, invited Growney to look at the curriculum they are proposing for a sustainable architecture and planning design. program. He told Growney the "Duck Project" makes a "perfect model" for his new curriculum.

Growney said the project will be completely LEED-compliant, (Leadership, Environmental and Energy Design) and it will be a hands-on teaching tool showcasing different methodologies of sustainable design--including solar, wind, and geothermal. With this in mind, Growney traveled to the AIA National Convention in San Antonio, Texas earlier this month, to get reactions to her project from the keynote speakers, including former Vice-President Al Gore, AIA National President R.K. Stewart, Incoming National VP Peter Arsenalt, architect William Reed, (Founding Board Member of the U.S. Green Building Council), and architect Chrisna Du Plessis, of South Africa.

"I was so excited when I learned the theme of this years' project was "Going Beyond Green," about sustainable, green architecture," she said. "I filmed a documentary on my project at this convention, where I interviewed many of these experts about the need for green architecture and preservation." This documentary, about the "Duck Project," is expected to be shown at schools, libraries and film festivals.

"I was also excited to meet Al Gore, and have him sign his book, "An Inconvenient Truth," which ties into what I'm trying to do with the environment," she said. "He wished me good luck with my project. And when I listened to his two-hour speech, he told the 20,000 architects that we are the leaders of the future, since building design must be responsible, and sustainable to last for the next generations."

The AIA is a non-profit organization, and for more information on the Duck Project go to www.aiapeconic.org