Campus Green Builder

by Van H. Du, on behalf of Second Nature team

While many colleges and universities are known for their world-class education, it is the built environment that can play an important role in embodying and defining the character of a higher education institution. Over hundreds of years, many buildings have stood witness to legacy and traditions taking place—memories made and shared among generations of students.

At the same time, in efforts to achieve campus sustainability, a challenge for many schools is rooted in the renovation of historic spaces. While historic buildings reflect an institution’s past and present, in many cases they have become outdated and thus lack the functional capacity to provide cutting-edge technologies and efficiency of modern facilities to serve the school’s mission as well as the needs of its students.

Franklin Environmental Center
Photo Credit: Middlebury College

Can schools achieve sustainable development while preserving their history?

After a little research, I believe that the answer is “YES.” It is not uncommon that old buildings become abandoned once their original uses are outdated. However, retrofitting a historic building can be a sustainable option, especially in this economy when capital funding for campus construction grows tighter and new construction costs make it infeasible to carry out. In addition, the buildings have an opportunity to "re-purpose" and maximize their service. Here are a few examples of what some schools have done in their efforts to undergo historic preservation, with a touch of “green” renovation:

Colorado State University--Guggenheim Hall’s Green Classrooms
Guggenheim Hall was built in 1910, and is now one of the few historic buildings left on campus. The building is home to the Construction Management program. Aside from being the first university to achieve the LEED® Silver certification (in Commercial Interior) in 2006, the renovated facility was a great on-site resource to teach design and construction students about the benefits of green building.

University of Pennsylvania—Music Building
Constructed in 1892 and located in the heart of the University’s historic district, the Music Building has been home to the Music Department over the years. With the need for more classrooms and rehearsal spaces, recent renovation of the building consisted of restoring its historic structures and materials in addition to the construction of the new wing with a more contemporary architectural design. The project achieved the University’s first LEED® Silver certification on its historic campus.

Middlebury College—Franklin Environmental Center
This 1875 Vermont farmhouse has served the college over the years as a dormitory, classrooms and faculty offices. In 2007, the historic building was once again transformed into the Franklin Environmental Center, which now shelters the Dean of Environmental Affairs, the Environmental Studies program, the Sustainability Integration Office, the Environmental Outreach and Service Learning program, and the Middlebury Fellowships in Environmental Journalism. The project received LEED® Platinum certification, and most significantly, it also emphasized the College’s commitment to sustainability through the adaptive reuse of a historic building.

These historic renovation projects epitomize the exemplary idea of preserving the characters and history of a place, without compromising the sustainability goals for the future of an institution.