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Vision: It was obvious that this was the right place. Upon entering the grounds, I could
see the sun was turning the sloped surfaces of photovoltaics iridescent
and, not far away, the hot water solar absorbers were nestled among
the plants on the roof. The bees were evident in their busy search
for honey among the clover.
As I entered the building, I felt as though I had exited the built world as I know it. There were no harsh surfaces to reflect pingy noises. The portions of the interior walls were alive in a symbiotic relationship with its occupants. I chuckled to myself, everything seemed inside out.
The well-insulated walls were visibly thick although the high-insulation R15 windows did not look any different. Just by the information kiosk, a real-time meter displayed the amount of energy being exported into the external grid and a graphic of the ecological footprint of the space showed it to be significantly smaller than the building area - more like an ecological toe-print. I traveled too far to see this place. Thankfully, that same night, the Green Convergence keepers were hosting a workshop explaining how to create a similar space in my community, where we can work and recreate in a sustainable manner, using Green Convergence as a template. Now that I've seen the place, I wouldn't mind traveling 30km by train once in a while for an event. But that isn't the point. Rather, I want sustainability right in my own backyard. I noticed that there was a bit of time before the workshop. The Education Co-ordinator came towards the doors saying "Come, let me lead you down the path of Green Convergence …"
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In
the natural gardens, a group of teenagers danced to the sounds of
their wind-up ghetto blaster. Over on the hard landscape some children
were racing model solar cars.
Not
far away I could see the stall selling ice cream made from locally
grown hemp and the outdoor produce market that displayed the fruits
of urban agriculture. At the loading dock, standing by a trailer
full of photovoltaic panels, a customer was discussing final installation
instructions with a retail store employee. A wind turbine turned
lazily in the background.
At
the information desk I chatted with the staff. They described the
campus and its many functions. In The Forum, a number of NPO's were
using the meeting room, which was just down the hall from their
offices. Located in the other direction was the research and project
centre and, further along, a media studio. Upstairs from the art
and exhibition gallery, one could find the work-live studios of
those that are crafting the Green Convergence. Be it artist,
gardener, technologist, student or cook; they, along with others,
are keepers of the space. 
That
night, at the Solar Stage, a well known artist headlined a benefit
for the victims of global warming. Next Tuesday
there was to be a workshop on green artist materials and techniques,
while on Saturday there was scheduled a forum on renewably powered
service providers and energy-efficient surfing for internet users.
