Hello EcoVidalDesign clients and
professional consultants:
I would like to take this
opportunity to give you a good summary of EVD's 2013 projects. It has been a
productive year starting with my continuous teaching at the Green Exchange site for St. Augustin College Workforce Development Institute. We teach there
Green Construction Practices and LEED GA training. Hopefully we will expand the
teaching to Universidade de Vigo, Spain in 2014.
EVD participated on a
volunteer effort in Brazil with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation with a
travel grant from Partners of the Americas (POA). We coordinated the
environmental educational component of a 5,000 fruit tree planting project in
the municipality of Mococa, Sao Paulo, Brazil involving children from 20 low-income, public schools.
EVD is very proud of having
participated in the "2013 Living Building Challenge Collaborative
Chicago" receiving an honorable mention (2nd place). Our team, "Roble
Verde" included Franceline Villasenor, Iara Moraes, Irma Ayala, the
old-time colleague and leader Luis Monterrubio and the talented young
EVD's CMU architectural student, Gabriel Vidal-Hallett. To all I thank you for
the great project!
Another high light in 2013 was
the construction completion of all affordable housing units at Back of The
Yards neighborhood through The Resurrection Project. Landon Bonne Baker
Architects and EVD completed the renovation of 6 buildings which are now
occupied by low-income families. This project helped the neighborhood to
recover from the devastating foreclosure crisis. I want to give a special thank you to Franceline Villasenor, Tyler Brown and Catherine Baker for their excellent work
and Benito Hernandez and Guacolda Reyes at TRP for this opportunity.
In addition, EVD has participated
on the total renovation of 25 Chicago Park District playgrounds as part
of the Urban Works Architecture team with whom we have worked continuously
since 2007. These play lots, mainly in the south side of Chicago, will have
brand new play equipment, new ADA ramps and restored seating walls and many
fruit trees which will be potentially donated by the Fruit Tree Planting
Foundation. Thank you Pat Natke, Rob Natke, Maria Pellot and Ameera
Ashraf O'Neil for this opportunity. We look forward to continue to work with
you.
EVD continues to work and help
the Edgewater Environmental and Sustainability Plan designing and
creating more rain gardens in the neighborhood and helping the community to
implement the plan through Planning and Development, stormwater management
advise and with a potential environmental educational program for
youth.
I finally want to dedicate all
our EVD's hard work to my father, Jose Enrique Vidal Campos, who passed
away on December 31, 2013. My father and my mother were always great supports
of my love for architecture and urban planning making sure I had all the
opportunities possible and available during my formation years. It was
with them that I also learned to be an international citizen and moved to Spain
to study and work and now in Chicago since 1990.
My father's favorite tree was an
oak (roble) that leaves in Vigo since he was born. This year was the year of
EVD's Roble (oak) Verde, Fruit Planting Foundation collaborations,
Chicago Park District play lots and rain gardens and affordable housing
projects. Papa, your wise advise and teaching lessons will live forever in me.
Thank you for everything. We miss you dearly!
