Designed by Bruner/Cott & Associates, the R.W. Kern Center on Hampshire College’s campus recently became the largest Living Certified higher education project in the world. The 17,000-sf building cost $10.4 million, including $7.4 million in construction.
The Kern Center originally opened as a multi-functional welcome center in April 2016. It includes a central double-height, glass-pavilion atrium that houses a café, lounge, and gallery. Two stone-clad wings house admissions and financial aid offices and classrooms with views of an amphitheater, rainwater harvesting reservoirs, solar farm, orchard, and wildflower meadow.
Courtesy Bruner/Cott & Associates.
In order to achieve Living Building Certification, the project owners were required to document at least one year of performance and achieve all 20 imperatives that are part of the Challenge. Project highlights include:
— Net-zero water attained through rainwater collection and treatment systems
— Net-zero energy achieved via PVs on the roof, which generate about 17% more energy than the building uses
— Biophilic elements such as local stone and wood
— Red List compliant building materials that avoid products made with toxic chemicals
Courtesy Bruner/Cott & Associates.
The completed building is used as a teaching tool by the college. Students can study the circulation of carbon and water in waste treatment and algorithms for monitoring its energy use.
The Building Team included Wright Builders, Inc. (GC), Kohler & Lewis Engineers (mechanical and plumbing engineer), R.W. Sullivan Engineering (electrical engineer), Foley Buhl Roberts & Associates, Inc. (structural engineer), and Richard Burke Associates (landscape).
Related Stories
| Mar 29, 2013
Stanford researchers develop nanophotonic panel that reflects sun's heat out of the atmosphere
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a nanophotonic material that not only reflects sunlight, but actually beams the thermal energy out of the earth's atmosphere.
| Mar 27, 2013
Small but mighty: Berkeley public library’s net-zero gem
The Building Team for Berkeley, Calif.’s new 9,500-sf West Branch library aims to achieve net-zero—and possibly net-positive—energy performance with the help of clever passive design techniques.
| Mar 22, 2013
Earn $500 as a DOE proposal reviewer
The DOE'S Building Technologies Office this morning put out a call to the AEC industry for expert reviewers for its new energy-efficiency initiative for small commercial buildings, which make up more than 90% of the commercial building stock.
| Mar 21, 2013
Best Firms to Work For: Enermodal Engineering is green to the core
At Enermodal Engineering, there’s only one kind of building—a sustainable one.
| Mar 19, 2013
New LEED for Neighborhood Development and Historic Preservation guide released
A new guidance manual, LEED for Neighborhood Development and Historic Preservation, outlines strategies geared towards helping building teams incorporate historic resources into their developments.
| Mar 14, 2013
25 cities with the most Energy Star certified buildings
Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Chicago top EPA's list of the U.S. cities with the greatest number of Energy Star certified buildings in 2012.
| Mar 10, 2013
Walgreens to build first net-zero energy retail store
Walgreens announced plans last week to build one of the nation's first net-zero retail stores. The Evanston, Ill., location will utilize solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal technology, LED lighting and ultra-high-efficiency refrigeration to produce energy equal to or greater than the building consumes.
| Feb 25, 2013
HOK sustainability expert Mary Ann Lazarus tapped by AIA for strategy consulting position
Mary Ann Lazarus, FAIA, LEED® AP BD+C, has accepted a two-year consulting position with the American Institute of Architects in Washington, DC. Her new position, which begins March 1, will focus on increasing the AIA's impact on sustainability across the profession. The St. Louis-based architect will continue consulting at HOK.
| Feb 20, 2013
CoreNet Global to real estate execs: 'Move forward on net-zero'
CoreNet Global, a major international association for corporate real estate and workplace executives, has released a public policy statement advocating adoption of net-zero energy buildings.