US (TX): Tarrant County College board approves campus greenhouse
The contract approved with Chambers Engineering to construct the greenhouse cost just under $300,000, according to a board memo. The new building is replacing a greenhouse that was destroyed by a fire in 2016, according to the memo.
The greenhouse will be much larger than the old one and will help the horticulture program keep up with growing enrollment, program coordinator David Bulpitt said.
The new greenhouse will be made of glass, Bulpitt said, which should be pleasing to the eye.
NW student Judy Hill said while the new greenhouse is going to enhance the entire campus, a polyfiber construction material is better suited to keep up with industry standards and the North Texas environment.
“Glass would be OK if [the greenhouses] weren’t in Texas because they hold so much heat,” Hill said. “We have hailstorms, and it could get damaged.”
Storm curtains will be installed on the new structure to counteract the increased heat absorption glass has over a polyfiber material and protect from hail damage, Bulpitt said.
Read more at The Collegian (Dylan Bradley)