EFS Profiles
The Center for the Environment's Sustainable Facility
Catawba College
Salisbury, North Carolina
Purpose: Greening the Campus, Sustainability Research
Please note that the copyright for this profile is retained by the institution.
Classes opened in the fall of 2001 in the sustainable facility that houses Catawba College's Center for the Environment. The "green" design and the environmentally friendly materials for the 19,800-square-foot building make it a model for the region and the state. "This building symbolizes the essence of our program," says Dr. John Wear Jr., director of the Center for the Environment. "It is a laboratory in and of itself."
Wear notes that he and Karen Alexander, the architect for the project, interviewed the people who would use the facility before beginning the planning process. They team-taught a class in sustainable architecture that allowed students to research recycled and recyclable construction materials as well as environmentally friendly technology; they solicited input from officials in organizations that work with the center in conservation efforts; and they considered ways to use the technology in the building as applied examples in courses and seminars.
"This facility is not just a building," Wear says. "It embodies the spirit of the program."
The $5.7-million building is located at the edge of the college's 189-acre ecological preserve. Wagoner Construction Co. served as the contractor. Alexander has positioned the building for the most efficient use of the climatic site conditions. The building is oriented to capitalize on natural light, but large overhangs on the southeastern side reduce the heat from the sun in the summer. An existing bluff shields it from northern winds,and its placement on the site allows for minimal disturbance of the environment. Some trees and shrubs were moved and reinstalled after the building was completed. Those trees that could not be reinstalled were chopped up on the site and used for mulch.
Lifecycle costs
The building products are both reliable and sustainable, according to Alexander. "We looked at life cycle costs as well as initial costs," she says. "We also looked at what happens to the product after its useful life has ended. We made sure that the product can be recycled after its use."
The building uses recycled materials. The carpet, for example, has a 100 percent recycled back, and some of the products that make up the outer fibers are also recycled. In addition, sections can be replaced without removing the entire carpet. "It is in the form of carpet tiles," Alexander says, "so if a particular area of the carpet gets more use, then those tiles can be rotated away from that area, and new tiles can be installed."
The college used sustainably grown wood for the facility. "We used bamboo flooring because bamboo grows very rapidly," Alexander says. "We decided not to cut down the rain forest to get our floor products."
Recycled newspaper
The contractor used energy-efficient glass; paint, wall covering and stains that meet criteria set by the Environmental Protection Agency; insulation made from recycled newspaper; ceiling tiles manufactured for noise reduction and light reflection; and an environmentally friendly ground-source heat pump, which has low carbon dioxide emissions and low overall environmental costs.
The heating and air conditioning system as well as light fixtures have occupancy sensors that automatically turn off the systems in a space if no one is present. Photo cells also control the artificial light. "As natural light comes in, the artificial light goes down," Alexander says. The elevator in the building uses electric traction and therefore does not need hydraulic fluids. It is also energy efficient.
Photovoltaic cells capture solar energy, which is used in the building. In addition, Wear hopes eventually to utilize electric vehicles powered by solar energy in the ecological preserve. The college has committed to a construction waste management program for the project, which will dispose of the construction debris by either sending it back to the manufacturer for recycling or sending it to recycling companies. Wagoner Construction used environmental science students to coordinate the recycling efforts.
Big statement
"Catawba is taking the lead," Alexander says. "It is showing how a small college can make a big statement about the importance of building carefully." Wear notes that the building epitomizes the mission of the Center for the Environment: to involve the college and its students in programs and activities that foster environmental stewardship.
"The college is making a substantial commitment to the environment with this facility," Wear says. "This is a building that represents now and to future generations the commitment of Catawba College to the conservation and sustainable use of the earth's resources."
For additional information:
Dr.John Wear
jwear@catawba.edu
Center for the Environment
This document was last modified on 02/20/2002 10:43:03 AM
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