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
Resiliency | Jul 27, 2023
'Underground climate change' can damage building foundations, civil infrastructure
A phenomenon known as “underground climate change” can lead to damage of building foundations and civil infrastructure, according to a researcher at Northwestern University. When the ground gets hotter, it can expand and contract, causing foundations to move and sometimes crack.
Sustainability | Jul 26, 2023
Carbon Neutrality at HKS, with Rand Ekman, Chief Sustainability Officer
Rand Ekman, Chief Sustainability Officer at HKS Inc., discusses the firm's decarbonization strategy and carbon footprint assessment.
Concrete | Jul 19, 2023
Public policy hindering widespread adoption of sustainable concrete
Researchers are making significant strides in reducing embedded carbon in concrete, but public policies have been slow to adopt this more sustainable option.
Sustainability | Jul 19, 2023
California lawmakers approve governor’s plan to accelerate green construction
California lawmakers recently approved Gov. Gavin Newsom’s infrastructure streamlining plan that aims to accelerate clean energy and infrastructure projects.
Sustainability | Jul 13, 2023
Deep green retrofits: Updating old buildings to new sustainability standards
HOK’s David Weatherhead and Atenor’s Eoin Conroy discuss the challenges and opportunities of refurbishing old buildings to meet modern-day sustainability standards.
Mass Timber | Jul 11, 2023
5 solutions to acoustic issues in mass timber buildings
For all its advantages, mass timber also has a less-heralded quality: its acoustic challenges. Exposed wood ceilings and floors have led to issues with excessive noise. Mass timber experts offer practical solutions to the top five acoustic issues in mass timber buildings.
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 6, 2023
The responsibility of adapting historic university buildings
Shepley Bulfinch's David Whitehill, AIA, believes the adaptive reuse of historic university buildings is not a matter of sentimentality but of practicality, progress, and preservation.
Contractors | Jun 30, 2023
Construction industry task force aims for standardized carbon reporting
A newly formed Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) task force on decarbonization and carbon reporting will address the challenges around reporting and reducing carbon emissions in the construction industry.
Apartments | Jun 27, 2023
Dallas high-rise multifamily tower is first in state to receive WELL Gold certification
HALL Arts Residences, 28-story luxury residential high-rise in the Dallas Arts District, recently became the first high-rise multifamily tower in Texas to receive WELL Gold Certification, a designation issued by the International WELL Building Institute. The HKS-designed condominium tower was designed with numerous wellness details.
Green | Jun 26, 2023
Federal government will spend $30 million on novel green building technologies
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will invest $30 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to increase the sustainability of federal buildings by testing novel technologies. The vehicle for that effort, the Green Proving Ground (GPG) program, will invest in American-made technologies to help increase federal electric vehicle supply equipment, protect air quality, reduce climate pollution, and enhance building performance.