Restoration is our Future
February 28, 2006: Before we can think about building new, we must fix and restore what we already have. That was the message Rotarians took home from a presentation by Jan Schach, Dean of Clemson University’s College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities. Dean Schach spoke to our Club about the new Clemson University Restoration Institute, and why the Lowcountry is the perfect location because of its rich history and natural laboratory for studying the “restoration economy”.
The restoration economy in South Carolina will be based on rebuilding the state over the next 60 years by revitalizing areas and utilizing technologies that will allow us to build smarter. Dean Schach shared some staggering statistics on population, infrastructure and development, and how restoration is going to be critical if we are going to be able to meet the challenges of growth with respect to future development. Restoration has many meanings, including historic preservation, creating new, sustainable building materials, and remediation of our natural resources.
Established in 2004, the Restoration Institute was formed to bring together resources and experts in many fields to tackle issues regarding health, hydrology, materials engineering, historic preservation and urban design. The Institute will build its campus on 80 acres at the former Charleston Navy Base, and will capitalize on such local resources as the Lasch Conservation Center (on the property), the ACE Basin and downtown’s historic district. The goal of the Institute is to “drive economic growth by creating, developing and fostering restoration industries and technology.”
According to Schach, more people live in urban cities than ever before, and specifically in the South Carolina, we can expect one million more people in the next 30 years, with one-third of them moving to the Lowcountry. With a current $1.6 trillion infrastructure backlog that doesn’t even take into consideration new development, we need to be smart about how we build into the future, conserving our resources and building sustainably for future generations.
Submitted by Amy Riley