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Innovation and Design: Resource Reports

Campus Examples

At the University of Oregon in Eugene, the campaign is to enable the campus to become 100 percent dependent on renewable and clean sources of energy within a period of ten years. The goal is to keep the campus committed to a 20 percent purchase of this source of energy until the time when they are able to reach the goal of 100 percent dependency on renewables. Princeton is currently working to install solar panels in several campus buildings, and to begin implementing several varieties of energy conservation. Similarly, Smith College and Penn State are both holding conferences on-campus to promote a more green-minded proposal for green building and renewable sources of energy for campus buildings.[i] All over the United States, college campuses are joining the mission for green building and green-minded technology.

An excellent example of a college that has transformed itself into a green campus is that of Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont. Green Mountain College is a small liberal arts institution that has joined forces with ENERGY STAR and established this as their mission of improving the building conditions of all facilities on the campus. They intend to cut energy costs and find a successful means of sustaining the surrounding environment , reducing the effects college residents have on the limited resources upon which the college depends.

Green Mountain College has signed a contract with ENERGY STAR and SIEBE Environmental, which is an energy resource in New Jersey, to upgrade its lighting and retrofit and replace 2,900 light fixtures and 1,500 light bulbs in 429,000 square feet throughout the expanse of the campus buildings. The “EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] estimates that the energy savings from Green Mountain’s lighting project prevent some 400,000 pounds of CO₂ from entering the atmosphere each year.” When the college replaced its light fixtures with ENERGY STAR materials tow years ago, it reduced its energy usage by 260,000 kilowatt hours annually. The new fixtures also helped in reducing costs in air conditioning; they give off less excess heat and in the summer keep the temperature low inside the building.

Of course, the college has expanded the number of computers to accommodate its increase in student enrollment in the institution. However, even with a larger number of computers, the college has seen dramatic decrease in their electricity bill: 119,280kWh in March 1997 to 84,174kWh in January 2000.[ii] This was mostly due to the innovation of ENERGY STAR and other techniques the college implemented in order to save energy. Water conservation and improvements in the heating system could then be afforded with the money that the college saved each year.

Many other schools throughout the United States are implementing sustainable practices in their building plans. Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, is an institution that has undergone strict changes in an attempt to reduce the amount of waste produced on campus, as well as make use of the natural resources that can be used as energy sources in campus buildings.[iii] Upon completion of the Bicentennial Science Center in 1999, the institution made plans to continue to construct sustainable structures and include La Force Hall, a new recycling center, and a new dining commons as well. There are also future plans for new residence halls, a dining hall, and a library by the autumn of 2004.

Rebuild America , an organization that is partnering with various colleges and universities, is developing proposals for several ways in which the institutions can incorporate green building practices. In developing these innovative practices, the colleges also reduced operating costs in the discovery of more energy-efficient methods. Another advantage for the institutions is the recognition and distinction awarded by green building organizations.

The “New House” dormitory on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was awarded a LEED silver rating in 2003 for its innovative design and implementation of various natural energy and efficiency methods. The nation’s first green dorm is a 71,400 square foot building that houses 255 undergraduate residents, providing them with a variety of environmentally friendly amenities, such as sophisticated air circulation, water efficient washing machines, and recycled carpeting.[iv] The residence hall has received nation-wide recognition, various tour bookings, and conferences on green building hosted by the University.

Reuse

According to the Energy Efficient and Renewable Energy Network, one-fourth of the total debris in our landfills is from materials used in construction of buildings.[v] The Restore in Washington State, a nonprofit building reuse supplier and deconstruction business, estimates that from a typical deconstruction project, about 50 percent of the structure is reused, more than 30 percent is recycled, and less than 20 percent is thrown away.[vi] The solutions to this problem include planning ahead to ensure that all materials ordered can be reused and recycled. If there are materials left over from the construction process, they should be able to be sent through a recycling and reuse process after the construction project has been completed.

Citation Homes, a housing development in Alameda County, San Leandro, California, joined hands with Green Waste Recovery, Inc., to recycle and reuse the materials left over after the project’s completion.[vii]The housing development company established a contract with Green Waste Recovery, Inc., to gather and transfer leftover materials from the jobsite and find a means of recycling the products. Wood was used as fuel or mulch, asphalt and concrete were ground for bases in roads, and sheetrock scraps became a gypsum soil addition.

This is one option for reuse of the building’s materials, but another option to be explored is the reuse of the building itself to employ in a variety of functions. By adapting techniques of building reuse, a great deal of material waste can be eliminated. Rather than contributing to urban sprawl and waste, many organizations have joined together to renovate and reuse older buildings. The Center for Neighborhood Technology in Chicago wanted to make a positive impact on the neighboring communities. It decided to adopt an already existing building to experiment with cooling gardens that can provide shade and collect stormwater , alternative transportation options, and a reflective roof.[viii]

Renovating and reusing a building for new purposes can spare much time, waste, and other expenses. With materials such as collapsible walls, offices can become classrooms, conference rooms, lounges, or even dormitory rooms in residence halls. One building is capable of serving a variety of functions within a campus setting. When the college or university is confronted wit the necessities of expansion or transitions in facilities, this is an excellent method to be employed.