Construction Ecologies

Opening August 2nd, 2024 at the Imagine Butte Resource Center (IBRC) in historic Uptown Butte, Construction Ecologies presents architectural research exploring construction supply chains in Montana, tracing the flow of raw materials from their original sites of extraction through production to their final use in the built environment. Sponsored by the nonprofit Building Bureau and the School of Architecture at Montana State University (MSU), the show features research by  eleven graduate architecture students conducted this spring in Building Bureau’s Visiting Scholar Advanced Architectural Studio at MSU. The work on display includes diagrams, text, mineral samples, material experiments and physical models, and represents both industrially produced construction materials ranging from gypsum to copper – for which Butte is famed – and renewable resources such as timber, wool, and straw. 

Based on MSU graduate student Mo Chaney’s experiments with natural, non-toxic paint recipes, the organizers prepared an organic paint for the installation. “I was originally doing research on the byproducts of mining materials and how they affect human health,” says Chaney. “Lead is widely known for its negative health effects on humans. The most common form of lead in a building is in older paint, and an estimated four out of ten homes to this day still contain lead-based paint.” Commercial paint today is not necessarily safe either, however, because it can contain volatile  organic compounds linked to cancer in humans and animals. In contrast, the custom paint for Construction Ecologies – a mustard hue nicknamed “Carrot Crush” that  covers approximately 325 square feet of the gallery’s walls – has as its primary ingredients 30 lbs of carrots and 250 egg yolks.

Building Bureau, Inc is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in New York and Montana with a mission to further the social impact of public organizations and civic institutions through architecture and promote stewardship of the built environment through research and educational programs. Cofounders Anna Leshnick and Tyler Survant are the 2024 Visiting Scholars at Montana State University’s School of Architecture. 

The opening of Construction Ecologies on August 2nd from 5pm – 8pm coincides with the Art Walk, Butte’s monthly celebration of the arts when galleries in town open their doors and host drinks and music. The exhibition will run from August 2nd through September 28th and will be open Monday through Friday during business hours and Saturday mornings during the Farmer’s Market, occurring weekly on Park Street outside the gallery.