The Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) minor at Chapman is a program where students can explore a range of diverse topics that span across hundreds of different channels often intersecting in unexpected and exciting ways. The areas of fashion, art, music, film, museums, and tourism are just a few of the branches of CCI that students investigate. The minor encourages students to study the synergistic relationships between their CCI curriculum and other academic disciplines with which they are passionate about. THAT is exactly what Senior Business Administration major / CCI minor student, Skye Henry did.
Skye found that her CCI courses have given her a unique and creative way to look at her Business School curriculum. She decided to use an Individual Studies course to explore sustainability by researching creative solutions aimed at increasing sustainable living in homes. She became interested in the topic after taking an environmental class for her science GE and quickly realized that the theories and practices she was learning in her CCI courses were dovetailing nicely with her Business School studies. This sparked an idea to combine concepts in sustainability with her passion for the business of real estate.
Skye became particularly interested in learning more about the LEED certification for businesses and residences. LEED is designed to encourage developers to exceed conventional building practices in order to create environments that will be healthier and more comfortable, with increased sustainability. Her research on the subject led her to create “A Homeowners Guide to Sustainability” as her final project for her Independent Study course.
In her project she investigated how energy/water efficiency, solar principles and the purchase and use of sustainable materials, when combined, can create homes that “consume energy consciously.” Skye demonstrates that it can be easy and affordable to implement greener practices into living spaces by providing creative and simple solutions for reducing energy waste. She notes that “Planting native or water wise plants, using energy efficient light bulbs, utilizing drip irrigation as a sustainable method of irrigation, and replacing gas related appliances with electric” are just some of the practices that can make a large impact.
As someone who is eager to make her mark in the real estate industry, Skye is excited to apply the creative concepts she has learned in her CCI courses and her sustainability research to her business skills with the intent to promote more sustainably built homes. “I would like to work collectively with builders, agents and real estate investors that emphasize the importance of green practices and make it a part of their business plan,” Skye notes.
The implementation of sustainable property features becoming best practices for developers will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the environment, and hopefully will stand out to future buyers and investors when making a decision on property. It is a creative concept that will have wide reaching effects on the environment and commerce.
We want to thank Skye for submitting her work to the CCI Collective and encourage you to check out her fascinating project here and engage with some of the ideas and practices she presents. Additionally we want to encourage all CCI students to submit any creative work, project, or internship experience that you would like highlighted on the CCI Collective to cci@chapman.edu and we’ll provide more information.
Check out Skye's Project Here: