Sound of Syracuse band Sophistafunk playing
“We had a glorious day yesterday to celebrate the opening of this facility and we’re looking forward to a glorious day today.”
(Edward Bogucz, executive director of the Syracuse Center of Excellence)
The Syracuse Center of Excellence is one of six Centers of Excellence in New York state. Each specializes in a different technology area that’s important for the state’s economy.
“We are the state’s Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy systems. We engage a broad network of collaborators across the state, really across the country and around the world. More than 200 firms and institutions are involved in our activities and this facility is our new headquarters.”
(Edward Bogucz, executive director of the Syracuse Center of Excellence)
On March 6, 2010, hundreds gathered at the Center’s open house. Many were curious about the design of the new headquarters, built with $36 million in state money, and what the building means for the community.
“They wanted the building to be kind of an iconic design, and I think it does that, too. I mean, everybody who goes by, notices the building, notices the shape. I think you can see from today how many people have come by to see what this is all about, so there is a lot of interest in it.”
(Volunteer at the Center of Excellence)
A large part of the Center’s inspiration comes from the indigenous people of the region.
“This area is the home to the world’s oldest democracy. The Haudenosaunee confederacy founded nearly 900 years ago was founded on the principles where the leaders were instructed to think of the impact of their decisions on the seventh generation of the future. That idea, thinking about the future in present day activities, is really at the heart of what we are attempting to do in developing new technologies.”
(Edward Bogucz, executive director of the Syracuse Center of Excellence)
The indigenous people of the region have adopted the building as a symbol of their native philosophy of finding ways to live in harmony with nature.
“So, the Center of Excellence is responsible for meeting this challenge, but it can’t do it by itself. It needs your work. It needs your understanding because you are really the authority for change. You. The people.”
(Chief Jake Edwards of the Onondaga Nation)
The building’s creators, in return, have adopted the native philosophy for a common cause of sustainable living.
“We are at a significant moment in the history of humanity on the planet. There’s just no other way to say it more plainly than that. In that the way that humans are using our energy and natural resources is not sustainable in the long term, and we need to think of ways of being, of living in a harmony with nature.”
(Edward Bogucz, executive director of the Syracuse Center of Excellence)
The Center is often described as a living laboratory because of all the research and new ideas taking place within the 55,000-square-foot building.
“Call it a living classroom. You can come up here and look at the green roof that’s right on top of us right here. You can come and ask us, ‘How did you install it? What’s it made out of? How do you make payments? What does it look like in the winter?’ ”
(Sara Pesek, director, Environmental Finance Center at Syracuse University)
Visitors at the opening had mixed reactions.
“I think it’s an interesting building with a lot of the latest technology. I’m not sure how practical it is for the average person building a building today, though.”
(Visitor)
“I don’t know enough about green technology to really know everything in it, but it’s kind of very interesting to be able to walk through and see everything that they’ve done.”
(Visitor)
“The chairs are very comfortable. We like the ergonomically correct chairs.”
(Visitor)
The Center of Excellence sets the standard for green buildings. Its open house celebrated what many there saw as a starting point for living in the community.
“Green is good. Green is the color of life. And we have it here. Here it is. It’s the beginning. Just the beginning.”
(Chief Jake Edwards of the Onondaga Nation)
Sound of Syracuse band “Sophistafunk” playing
(Jennifer Sheppard is a graduate student in magazine, newspaper and online journalism.)
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