McLean Environmental Living and Learning Center (

Narratives

Architect Narrative

To enhance the environmental educational experience for its students, this Environmental Liberal Arts College, erected a three-wing, two-story, 114 bed residence hall which also serves as a teaching tool. The environmental building designer and architect of record specified the systems and materials used to provide optimal building performance for this 39,994 s.f. living-learning laboratory. Students were very involved in the facility design from initial concepts through completion.

Students listed over 40 elements to be considered in the design including specific building materials, a greenhouse and alternative energy solutions. The final design included almost all 40 of the elements. A written “Memorandum of Understanding” was created to document and communicate the project’s overall goals. This document was bound in the project manual as a tool to communicate the project’s mission to prospective bidders. Once bid, key stakeholders including major subcontractors and student leaders, were asked to sign the document as their commitment to helping the project meet its goals. These goals centered around: site, water, energy, indoor environmental quality, materials and waste.

The building is used as a living laboratory in a class called “Sustainable Living on a College Campus.” Students use computers to monitor the building’s renewable systems- a 20-kilowatt Jacobs Wind turbine, a solar domestic hot water system and three photovoltaic arrays. They also track the building’s overall energy use and compare it year to year.

Using over 70 different installed energy-monitoring devices, this building underwent a detailed analysis during its first year of operation to determine its actual energy performance. Results showed that the building exceeded the goal of 40% better efficiency than code. The design process, building construction and quality of living environment were evaluated by the Energy Center of Wisconsin.

This project combines unique teaching capabilities with its environmental design, greatly enhancing the college’s philosophy and its mission – integrating living with learning. Combining academics with student life, the building’s classrooms are used for teaching sustainable living and other classes, freshmen seminars and numerous extracurricular gatherings.

College staff are pleased with the building as a residence hall, giving it an overall grade of B. Students reported that it is a desirable place to live. The building has served the College well as a demonstration project highlighting its environmental mission to potential students, donors and the general public.

Several Lessons Learned:

The Air Handling Unit ran continuously and was designed without variable speed drives (VSD’s). If not monitored in this review, this may not have been discovered. VSD’s were added, resulting in significant energy savings and student comfort.

A commissioning agent would have been more effective if brought into the team earlier.

On-site, many tons of cardboard were recycled. More waste could have been recycled by better educating all suppliers and subcontractors.

High Performance fluorescent lighting was over-controlled. These already very efficient bulbs need to remain on for a minimum period to achieve their useful life. Over-switching them on and off reduces their life expectancy. Required sensors need calibration which should be specified and enforced for optimum performance.

Educator Narrative

Students were engaged in numerous ways in the planning process, construction review and the operation and monitoring of the building. During planning, they convened ad hoc groups, generated lists of elements they wanted in the building and lobbied the appropriate campus decision makers. They also reviewed green building techniques as part of a class on the principles of sustainability. All their ideas were shared with the design team. Planning meetings became learning opportunities for the students and the design team.

Such strong interest in sustainability issues was raised during planning that a course was developed integrating the building into the student’s formal learning experience. The class, “Sustainable Living on a College Campus,” has been offered three times with high demand resulting in waiting lists for participation.

Summary of Class Goals:
Integrate student’s living environment with the study of various sustainability components. Study personal living habits and choices from the perspective of the environmental impacts that result. The new residence hall, will serve as the classroom and laboratory for this course. Our focus of study will start at each student’s individual home and venture outward to impact our community, region, nation, and planet. Each student will confront the question: How shall I live?

Students were guided by faculty, staff, design professionals, renewable energy contractors and community members while studying five areas of sustainability:
1. Energy; 2. Water; 3. Food; 4. Consumption and waste; 5. Green building practices. A final course objective - develop educational programs and materials that interpret campus green projects, (including the living and learning facility), and could be presented to members of the College and surrounding community. Papers, public presentations, video documentaries, interpretive signage, a green home design, and web pages resulted. Two former students of the class built their own sustainable homes using many of the principles learned in the class.

Challenges: Composting toilets were a conversation topic for many planning sessions. Operation and maintenance concerned the professional facilities staff. Squeamish hurdles were crossed and procedural steps established and student residents have stepped up to take on the main operating need – removing composted solids twice a year.

The wind generator has had mechanical problems. When working it is a symbol of hope for many of the students, when it is malfunctioning it is a frustration.

The solar photo-voltaic panels have worked consistently and well. Tracking devices on two of the arrays have been problematic. Analysis of the efficiencies of the various tracker options has not been completed. Institutionalizing the learning opportunities so that all residents are exposed to them has not been accomplished due in part to changes in College personnel.

The building is seen by many students as a good effort in sustainable design. The learning opportunities tied to it have been positive. It is a very desirable place to live and perhaps the green lessons will rub off on the residents who choose to live there for the extra space or generous day lighting.