The North American Sustainability, Housing and Community Consortium (NASHCC) promotes sustainability by sharing knowledge among member universities, university-based and community-based research centers and institutes, public agencies, and communities. It implements the SFTA’s innovative consortia model that integrates diverse sectors, overlays sustainability experiences at home and partner institutions, and applies sustainability knowledge in service learning projects in local and international venue. It pursues parallel academic and project funding tracks; and implements a nested sustainability curriculum. The NASHCC uses the global media network and digital media classroom teleconferencing to provide introductory international experiences, teach sustainability course content, acculturate students for exchanges, and prepares students in degree programs at Ball State and partner institutions to participate effectively in NASHCC international collaborative local-global partnerships.

NASHCC institution partners include Ball State University (BSU) and the University of Texas at Austin (UT) in the United States; the National University of México (UNAM, Mexico City) and TEC de Monterrey (Monterrey, Mexico) in Mexico; and McGill University (Montreal, Canada) and Dalhousie University (Halifax, Canada) in Canada. Non-institutional partners include the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems (CMPBS) in the U.S. and Grupedsac in Mexico.

While still in its first year and therefore unable to fund exchanges (due to provisions of the grant), the NASHCC provided BSU students unique learning experiences. These included Reconnecting People and Place (provide link here), a summer 2005 international interdisciplinary course on regenerative housing and community.

Students at NASHCC institutions who are interested in an international student exchange through the consortium are invited to apply to the program.

Project Overview  

  • Project Director: John L. Motloch, Professor and Director, Ball State University Land Design Institute
  • Department/Faculty: Department of Landscape Architecture, Ball State University , College of Architecture and Planning, Muncie, IN 47306, Tel: 765-285-7561, Fax: 765-285-1983
  • Title: North American Sustainability, Housing, and Community Consortium
  • Partners: Ball State University, IN; University of Texas at Austin, TX; McGill University, CAN; Dalhousie University, CAN; Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, MEX; Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios de Monterrey, MEX.
  • Grant No.: P116N040015

Project Details

Consortium partners seek to:

  1. advance sustainability, housing and community through information-flow and practical application,
  2. establish collaborative agreements and protocols for student mobility,
  3. build long term institutional linkages,
  4. sponsor 60 students over the four-year program,
  5. develop common sustainability and housing curricula and research,
  6. immerse students in practical experiences with firms or community organizations, and 
  7. disseminate NASHCC experiences to business, planning, design, and academic communities that must partner to lead society to a sustainable future and just housing for all.

The NASHCC’s innovative model includes interdisciplinary professional built-environment experiences and case-study research in universities and community-based centers. FIPSE, SEP, and HRDC funding support institutional linkages, student exchanges, development of common curricula and research initiatives, and dissemination. Project funding (pursued from others) will provide student assistantships in classrooms, community-based projects and case-study research. The NASHCC enhances the ability of existing degree programs to prepare graduates to lead their professions and communities to sustainable development and dignified housing, by providing advanced theory and application in sustainable planning, design, and housing in diverse and global contexts.

Project Contacts  

John L. Motloch (US Lead)
Ball State University
Department of Landscape Architecture
R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning
Muncie, Indiana 47306
Phone: 765-285-7561
Fax: 765-285-1983

David Gibson
University of Texas at Austin
IC2 Institute
2815 San Gabriel
Austin, Texas 78705
Phone: 512-475-8900
Fax: 512-475-8901
davidg@icc.texas.edu

Vikram Bhatt and David Covo (CAN Lead)
McGill University
School of Architecture
815 Sherbrooke Street West
Montreal, Quebec,
Canada H3A 2K6
Phone: 514-398-6713
Fax: 514-398-7372
vikram.bhatt@mcgill.ca
david.covo@mcgill.ca 

Terrance Galvin
Dalhousie University
Faculty of Architecture & Planning
5410 Spring Garden Road
P.O. Box 1000
Halifax, NS, Canada B3J 2X4
Phone: 902-494-3903
Fax: 902-423-6672
Terrance.Galvin@dal.ca

Gustavo Romero Fernandez (MEX Lead)
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Facultad de Arquitectura
Ciudad Universitaria
Delegación Coyoacán
Mexico City, D.F. 04510
Phone: (55) 55-66-75-15; (55) 55-35-29-54
Fax: (55) 55-66-75-16; (55) 55-35-29-54
fomentosol@prodigy.net.mx

Pedro Pacheco
Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Supieriores de Monterrey
Departamento de Arquitectura
Garza Sada 2501
Monterrey, N.L., 64849
Phone: (81) 83-58-20-00, Ext. 5406
Fax: (81) 83-58-20-00, Ext. 5409
ppacheco@itesm.mx