Hillcrest Environmental Center
Coming Soon - LEED Certified Hub for the Environment at Middlebury College
Since 1965, preparing young scholars to understand and protect the natural world we all share has been a Middlebury hallmark. Middlebury's environmental studies program, the oldest undergraduate environmental program in the country, has from the beginning fostered a holistic outlook. Here, "ES" doesn't begin and end with the sciences, although field and lab work in geology, biology, chemistry, and geography form a core element and one possible focus. ES at Middlebury includes sciences and environmental policy as well as literature, architecture, religion, dance, economics, psychology, international studiesÑthe full spectrum of our planet's human endeavor.
The new Hillcrest Environmental Center will give this preeminent program its first real home. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of Middlebury's ES program, at least 40 professors teach courses and supervise projects, and at least 90 students major in this highly popular program area each year. Staff of the college's Sustainable Campus and Community Based Environmental Studies programs will also be located in the new center.
These ES partners are scattered across campus, with no suitable space in which to build a sense of community and shared purpose. In addition, books, data, films, and equipment lack a central location. Starting in fall 2007, the Center will gather these students, faculty, staff, and resources in the kind of collaborative spaces so essential to capturing both the "facts" and the "feelings" of environmental awareness and translating them into action.
Adaptive Reuse of a Historic Buidling
Instead of constructing a new building for its environmental programs, the College is creating a model of resource and energy efficiency through the adaptive reuse of Hillcrest, an 1875 Italianate-style Vermont farmhouse. Hillcrest will mark a new gateway in bringing Vermont vernacular and historic buildings up to the sustainability standards so critical to our future. In renovating Hillcrest, Middlebury will for the first time test the feasibility of third-party certification for its sustainable building practices by registering for LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
The project involves deconstructing the south annex, sustainable renovation of the original building and western addition, and constructing a smaller 2-story addition to the south. The renovated building is slated for occupancy in June, 2007.
Key Sustainability Features of the Hillcrest Project
Recycled Materials:
* Hillcrest's non-original southern
annex will be removed, using
methods to allow maximum recycling
and reclamation of materials instead
of land filling. For example:
* Eighty percent of the demolition
materials were reclaimed and reused.
* Slate from the annex roof will be used to
repair the existing roof.
Additional Recycled-content Materials:
* Paperstone countertops made from recycled paper and
cashew nut resin.
* Desktops and table surfaces made from a composite of
sunflower hulls.
* Carpeting made from the tailings of recycled carpet.
* Acoustic ceiling panels with a high recycled content.
Building Envelope:
The following key features will be included without disturbing Hillcrest's historic exterior trim and siding.
* CFC-free green spray-applied urethane in walls and ceilings to provide a true vapor and air barrier.
* Single-pane windows replaced with locally produced wood windows, high efficiency with low-E glass and argon-filled double-glazing.
* Insulation below the slabs and at the foundation walls.
* Air and vapor seals around all wall penetrations.
* Airlocks at major entrances.
* Separation of the building structure from the outside to avoid thermal transfer.
* Full commissioning through design and construction and blower door testing during construction to find and patch invisible air leaks and ensure tightness of the building envelope.
* Two-week flush out of the building and mechanical systems prior to occupancy.
Energy Systems:
* Newly drilled groundwater well will be used as a heat pump to assist in cooling the colloquium space for summer school use.
* Occupancy sensors throughout the building will turn lights on and off.
* Optimized daylighting in all new spaces; each room has cross ventilation from at least two sides.
* High efficiency lighting will be used.
* Air conditioning is minimized. Ceiling fans and mechanical ventilation supplement natural ventilation in all occupied spaces.
* Air conditioning system will use green refrigerant newly available for systems of this size.
* Project will participate in CVPS green power program, fueled from methane processed at local dairy farms.
* About 20% of building's power will come from co-generation at the College's central heating plant.
* All offices will have individual temperature controls and ceiling fans.
* High-efficiency air handlers to include heat wheel heat recovery systems.
* Building temperature will be monitored and controlled through the central Energy Management System.
* Additional funds are being raised outside of the project budget to support two other energy and education features:
- Photovoltaic panels on south roof will generate 2-7% of
electrical power.
- Building performance display software and hardware
that users can query to learn about the relationship
between energy consumption, user behavior, and
environmental factors
Water, Landscaping, Transportation:
* Low water-use fixtures include waterless urinal, low-flush toilets, and low-flow showerhead for bike-commuter shower.
* Full ADA compliance, with two at-grade entrances and an elevator.
* Decreased impervious area by removing 12 to 14 parking spaces and creating a native-landscaped courtyard.
* Trees planted along the south side of the building will provide summer shade and reduce solar heat gain.
* All plantings are native species that do not require fertilizer or supplemental watering.
* Covered bike racks.
* Foot grates at all major entrances to reduce dust in air.
* Dedicated parking for alternative fuel vehicles.
Local Materials:
* Slate floors and roofs from the region
* Panton stone for the site wall and stone foundation.
* Forest Stewardship Council certified hardwood trim and flooring from the College's forests.
* Office desks, chairs, tables and study carrels made by Vermont furniture makers using wood from local sources, most of which is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
* Locally manufactured wood windows.
Finishes:
* Low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) products used exclusively in paints and recycled carpets. Water based, low VOC finishes are being used on desks, tables and carrels.
* Plywood is minimized in favor of local wood.