Oklahoma State University looks to establish eco-village

Philippe Garmy, a clinical instructor in OSU's hotel and restaurant administration department, said he got the idea as he was sitting on the balcony of his apartment in north Stillwater, looking out over a golf course.

He said he began thinking about what would happen if all the 21st century accoutrements of an apartment complex were stripped away and replaced with features such as vegetable gardens, orchards and space to keep animals for eggs or meat. The buildings themselves would be sustainable in their use of energy and water.

After considering the idea for a while, Garmy approached Melanie Page, director of OSU's Institute for Creativity and Innovation, and Jane Talkington, project director for the institute's Wake Up and Dream initiative.

Page and Talkington agreed to help Garmy implement the idea on the condition that Garmy — a veteran of several Michelin-starred restaurants — cater their meetings.

Taking the long view

From the beginning, Page said, the project development was designed to be a long process, allowing time for as much public input as possible. The institute has held a series of public meetings to discuss the plans for the project, with more scheduled in the weeks to come.

“The three of us could have sat down and designed this in an afternoon,” she said. “But that makes it our thing.”