10/27/2005
The construction team is now focused on the installation of key infrastructure components including a well-fed centralized water loop, electrical service, and a biomass (straw) gasification plant.
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| Gasification Plant Under Construction |
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| Gasification Plant Nears Completion |
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| Gas Generators |
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| Trenches for Gas and Water Pipes |
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10/17/2005
Board Member Gary Dirks, President of BP China, organized an October 17 site visit to Huangbaiyu village for a small group of senior representatives from BP, BASF, the China Housing Industry Association (CHIA), Ministry of Science and Technology, Goldman Sachs, Tongji University and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The delegation met with local officials, visited the village school and explored the newly constructed homes of Phase I development.
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| The Delegation Meets with Local Officials |
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| Klaus Bremer of BASF, Nie Meisheng of CHIA, Shao Limin of Tongji, Ralph Lerner of BP and Jinyong Cai of Goldman Sachs (l to r) Visit Shannon May and Village School |
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| Oluwafemi Odediran of UNICEF and Ralph Lerner of BP Tour Village with Benxi Assistant Mayor Dai Limin |
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10/15/2005
A collaborative effort between BP and the local Benxi Power Supply Company has yielded a grid interconnection for the 2 kilowatts of solar power that have been installed in the village demonstration…this is a groundbreaking development!
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| BP Engineer Miao Peinen |
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| BP Solar Panels Installed on Demonstration Home |
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10/1/2005
With the exteriors of the Phase I homes nearly complete, the local construction team has shifted its focus to the interior environment. The homes will feature underfloor radiant heating, clean running water, flush toilets, and electrical service.
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| Underfloor Radiant Heating |
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| Kitchen Tile |
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9/13/2005
The local construction team takes advantage of beautiful September weather and makes steady progress on the homes of Phase I.
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| Phase I Rooftops |
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| Straw Bale Infill |
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| Corn Crops |
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Phase I Construction Gains Momentum
9/6/2005
Intermittent summer rain storms give way to sun breaks as the local construction team moves closer to achieving its goal of completing the exteriors of forty Phase I homes in October.
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Phase I Foundations In Progress
8/11/2005
As the hot month of August progresses, so does work on the foundations for the first phase of the village housing.
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Summer in Huangbaiyu
7/29/2005
The warmth of summer is now transforming the earth in Huangbaiyu.
From the small shoots that stood in welcoming lines during the Board visit in May, the corn now towers above the heads of the tallest men.
Walking along the horse paths that meander between the rows of stalks, dragonflies whirr overhead and butterflies dance along the ground. In the heat of the sun, the village is full, and yet quiet. A quiet only broken by the low rumble of the earth movers - heard but unseen beyond the corn - plowing the dirt to produce another type of sustenance for the villagers.
Pillars of ashen block rise to the sky, echoing the stalks of corn that have long given nourishment to Huangbaiyu. Unlike in previous years, this October there may be two harvests, one of grain and another of shelter.
-- Shannon May
Shannon May is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. She is living in Huangbaiyu village and conducting research on the social, environmental and economic change in the village over time. Shannon's dissertation research is supported by Intel’s People and Practices Research Group. |
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| Shannon May Meets the Villagers |
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| Foundation for New Housing |
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Breaking Ground on Phase I Foundations
7/22/2005
Based upon lessons learned in the design of the demonstration homes, work begins on the foundations for the first phase construction of the village homes.
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