Christopher Osterhoudt

I got involved to gain real-world, practical experience in green building design and construction, and to be able to see a project grow from conceptual design to a finished product marketed to the public.

I oversee the planning and organization of the team structure in order to ensure each discipline strives the hardest to work collaboratively and create the best possible project on time and on budget.  I’m directly involved with public outreach, recruitment, curricular integration, and sponsorship development as well as various aspects of the design including plan organization, exterior deck and lighting design, and window design and assembly.

GRoW Buffalo represents two major things to me.  First, it gives students the opportunity to collaborate and gain experience in a way they typically would not be able to in school – it bridges a significant gap between academia and the professional world.  Secondly, it engages the energy conservation as a broader topic about self-sufficiency, ranging from electrical consumption and production within a dwelling to the energy consumption inherent in food systems, and even the energy embodied within the life cycle of building materials.