Live in the M:OMENT

The work of two architecture faculty members will be displayed in the Robert E. Kennedy Library Learning Commons from Oct. 27 to Dec. 15 in the exhibition,”M:OME – Modern Sustainable Living.”

Tom Di Santo and Laura Joines-Novotny are the featured architects from the local firm M:OME.

“We believe in bringing beauty into the world. If something is not sustainable then to me it is not really beautiful,” Joines- Novotney said. “Living in harmony with natural resources and the community around us is really beautiful.”

Architectural design, process drawing, watercolor renderings, furniture and lifestyle product design will be exhibited. Catherine Trujillo, special collections curator, is organizing the show.

“We’re hoping that this exhibit will attract faculty and students from all different colleges.There’s a lot of different aesthetics that will attract students, faculty and members of the community,” Trujillo said.

The exhibit will show the architectural process from beginning to end and how similar design can be used on a variety of projects regardless of scale.

“Our goal is to educate people about the total process or total aspect of being an architect,” Joines-Novotny said.

Sustainable living is important, she said, because people are living “in a vacuum” and they think they have to turn on a switch to heat up their houses. However, a house could be completely heated just by positioning the windows in the right
place.

“Technology is there to have a house heat and cool itself completely, we’re just not taking advantage of that,” she said. “There’s no reason we should be using more of the earth’s resources than possible (to do without).”

M:OME is dedicated to creating “modern design that belongs to its climate and region, sustains itself and its owners while supporting community and environment alike,” according to the Learning Commons Web site. They have proposed a local neighborhood housing project that would not only be eco-friendly, but cost-effective and affordable.

“It’s important because it’s helping not only the environment, it’s economical,”
Trujillo said.

Joines-Novotny said she wants to make people’s lives easier and better.

“Sustainability is really just having a
very high awareness of what you’re doing. It’s being aware of all the systems of a building and how they fit together and having those as nonresource-depleting as possible,” she said.

Some of the sustainable technologies that will be incorporated include solar power and nontoxic materials.

Trujillo would like the exhibit to be an inspiration to students.

“Hopefully this will be a physical learning tool for CAED (College of Architecture and Environmental Design) students,” she said.

On Nov. 8 there will be a hands-on workshop titled “Genius of the M:OMENT” from 4 to 5 p.m. The show’s opening reception is Oct. 27 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Learning
Commons.

“We really want to promote an interdisciplinary collaboration here in the library,” Trujillo said.

This is the third Learning Commons exhibit and the first faculty show.

“It brings work that faculty not only teach but practice in their own firm, to bring a new perspective to campus,” Trujillo said.