To make way for the new building that will house the Kate Tiedemann College of Business, trees will be cut down.
But the wood from these trees will become furniture and artwork inside the building.
Jim Grant, USF St. Petersburg’s construction project manager, and Project Leader Dan McGarigal came up with the idea to spare the wood.
“Most trees will be reused in one way or another,” said Jim Grant. “Hopefully for tabletops, lounge seating in the atrium, and on the balcony. The table in the fourth floor boardroom, which will serve as a secondary area for emergency operations, will have a large table made from the wood. We plan to add plaques to the tables that identify they were made with wood from the trees on site.”
McGarigal searched for local chainsaw carvers willing to take on this job. He found Viable Lumber, a company specializing in woodworking. They will store and dry the wood until it can be used for furniture and artwork in the new College of Business and around campus.
Their slogan reads “We’re not your typical tree huggers.”
In February, The Crow’s Nest reported on Viable Lumber. The company supplied the Gibson Guitar Corporation with the lumber to create the first Gibson Les Paul American Rosewood Guitar.
Viable Lumber also supplies wood to carve into furniture, instruments, sculptures and more. They will begin their work on campus April 6, performing a demonstration for students.
McGarigal feels that placing some of the artwork from the wood around campus would bring more life to USFSP.
“St. Petersburg is a an art city, but we do not have much art on campus,” said McGarigal. “We can hire local artists to carve more artwork that will make our campus stand out. Even two or three pieces would enhance campus art culture.”
Each piece of furniture and art will have a special meaning, and as Viable Lumber puts it, a “second life.”
Viable Lumber will selectively cut the trees; that is, only take and store the most durable wood. The wood must air dry for about a year and kiln dry for 8 months, and then it is ready to be carved. Around this time, more artists will be hired to sculpt the wood.
About 75 percent of the trees’ wood can be salvaged, according to USFSP Sustainable Coordinator Jennifer Winter.
“The roots and weaker parts of the trees can be converted into mulch,” Winter said. “Sustainable furniture and art is fitting for the new College of Business, and can push it further in the direction of earning a gold rating from the LEED U.S. Green Building Council.”
Learn more:
For more information on sustainable initiatives here on campus, visit the USFSP Sustainability site at www.usfsp.edu/sustainability1.
