Spring 2007 -- Vol. 60, No. 2

Some call it “the age of consequence.” Others call it “an age of opportunity.” But most agree that to respect our past and to ensure our future, we must take a fresh look at our natural and manmade environments. And we must do it now.

“The world is undergoing a major building boom,” says Jan Schach, dean of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities. “Forecasts indicate that by the year 2030, more than half of all buildings in the United States will have been built since 2000. On top of that, China doubled its total built floor space between 1999 and 2002 alone.

“The world does not have enough raw materials to meet this demand, let alone rebuild and repair existing infrastructure such as roads and bridges. More advanced, sustainable and healthy building materials and methods need to be discovered.”

To reap the greenest benefits for South Carolina, the state needs a plan that reaches from the Upstate to the Lowcountry.
That’s where the Clemson University Restoration Institute comes in. Clemson is generating and coordinating major restoration efforts based on the University’s resources and our region’s needs. Those efforts address both the consequences of the past and economic opportunities of the present and future.

Founded in 2004, the institute is headquartered at Clemson while its major research center will be in North Charleston. The North Charleston project is in the first phase following approval by the S.C. Budget and Control Board earlier this year.

The research center will bring together advanced materials manufacturing, complex assembly and successful mixed-land use, for which North Charleston is known, with the added benefit of the city of Charleston, the nation’s leading laboratory for cultural and structural preservation.

It will eventually house commercial tenants, historic preservation and restoration partner facilities, and other members of the restoration community.

The institute will consider and establish future centers as opportunities arise.

The Clemson University Restoration Institute has four focus areas:

Historic preservation and materials conservation

From historic architecture and artifacts to scenic landscapes and natural resources, these treasures are not only significant to nature and our culture, but essential to a healthy, prosperous population.

Some projects in this focus area include preservation of the H.L. Hunley Civil War submarine and mapping of Charleston’s historic district via GIS resources. Closer to campus, researchers are working on the Hopewell Project, architectural surveying and documentation of the historical home of Andrew Pickens. Another team is evaluating the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Training Program.

Advanced materials, methods and processes

Because construction materials worldwide consume an estimated 3 billion tons of raw materials each year, new methods and materials are crucial for continued economic growth.

Experts in the advanced materials area are doing just that. They research and develop next- generation, sustainable and reused building and engineering materials, utility systems, fabrication processes and reconstruction processes.

For example, the National Brick Center at the Clemson Research Park provides the latest research and testing for perhaps the world’s oldest building industry. Other researchers are creating green building products by working with recycled materials such as using waste paper residual in the production of low-density ceramics.

Another team has created the Dry-in House, a design to get New Orleans residents back on their land and in a permanent house quickly. It was featured in the “Searching for Resilient Foundations: The Gulf Coast after Katrina” exhibit in Venice, Italy.

In collaboration with the Hunley preservation team, Clemson scientists and other international experts are working to develop compounds and processes to remove and prevent corrosion on metal surfaces exposed to saltwater. This research could protect billions of dollars in military and commercial ships and other maritime equipment.

Restoration ecology

Accommodating growth while preserving, restoring and conserving natural resources is called restoration ecology. The scientists in this focus area conduct research in land development and management and in the restoration of ecological systems.

An example is reclamation of the Kennecott Ridgeway Mine pit lakes in Fairfield County. During operation from 1988-1999, the mine produced 1.5 million ounces of gold and 28 tons of silver. But this process required digging pits more than 500 feet deep, smashing rocks and using a cyanide solution to extract the metals. When the mine closed, two open pits were left, each covering about 100 acres.

But through Clemson research and expertise in constructed wetlands and planting to curb erosion and create biodiversity habitats, the 2,000-acre site has been converted to freshwater lakes and upland grassland prairie, a refuge for migratory birds and other wildlife. The restoration project earned a national award from the Bureau of Land Management in 2005 and now serves as a teaching laboratory for ecological restoration, used by researchers and students at Clemson, University of South Carolina and University of Georgia. 

Healthy communities

Safe communities and positive environments are vital for the physical health of individuals and the economic health of their communities. In this focus area, teams conduct research in the design, planning and management of communities for healthy living.

For example, Clemson’s highly respected Architecture + Health Studio, one of only two such graduate programs in the nation, is collaborating with the Sullivan Center (the University’s interdisciplinary health center), along with Clemson’s planning and landscape department, the city and other partners to create a healthier community by reuse of an existing strip mall to create a green wellness clinic.

The Architecture + Health Studio will also conduct collaborative research with faculty of the Medical University of South Carolina on the design of surgical and other health-care environments.

The Restoration Institute’s focus areas often overlap and become seamlessly integrated. The results can be miraculous.

Reedy River Project

A prime example of collaboration and integration is the recent Reedy River Project in Greenville. The Reedy River, the city’s “birthplace,” was once an integral part of the region’s culture and economy. But pollution from factories, chemical spills, sewage and general neglect nearly destroyed it.

In 2001, Clemson’s Center for Community Growth and Change took on the task of developing the Reedy River Master Plan. The master plan — with public input and participation — served as a framework for the 16-mile stretch of the river in Greenville.

In addition, Clemson’s Environmental Institute, Jim Self Center on the Future and other University entities collaborated with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, S.C. Water Resources Center, Pinnacle Consulting Group and more partners.

The result is a historical river that has once again become a rich natural resource for community development and economic growth, particularly for downtown. The success of the project has encouraged leaders to begin groundwork for the next step — a greenway corridor and park system along the Reedy River.

Thinking green

Simply put, Clemson’s emphasis on a sustainable environment is twofold. One is to improve the quality of life for South Carolinians. The other is to drive economic development for our citizens.

The University’s Restoration Institute will do both.

In the process of finding a better way — one that conserves and restores our natural and man-made environments — the institute is seizing the opportunity for economic growth through the creation, development and production of restoration industries and technology.

And for Clemson students, the success of the University’s restoration efforts is both immediate and long range. They can learn from world-class faculty in prime laboratories through vital research and experience.

And, perhaps even more significant, they can help restore the world they will inherit.

To learn more about the Clemson University Restoration Institute, go online to restoration.clemson.edu or contact Joshua Lee, assistant director, at (864) 656-0637 or joshlee@clemson.edu.

Leaders

The Clemson University Restoration Institute is interdisciplinary. John Kelly, Clemson’s vice president for Public Service and Agriculture, is the institute’s director. He oversees the development of the institute and its North Charleston Research Park.

Janice Schach, dean of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities, is the institute’s interim academic director. She steers a planning group with representatives for all five academic colleges, Public Service Activities, the Strom Thurmond Institute, Rutland Institute for Ethics and Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

Nationally respected restoration ecologist Gene W. Eidson recently joined the team to lead environmental efforts. His expertise includes founding Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy, a public-private partnership, and raising more than $6.5 million to support research, education and outreach programs in water- shed research and ecological restoration.

City and regional planning professor and associate dean Barry Nocks is director of the Center for Community Growth and Change at Clemson. He directed the Reedy River Master Plan project for the center.