Impact/Purpose:

Addressing climate change is fast becoming the highest priority of the environmental sustainability movement. Accordingly, the US building sector, as the leading producer of CO₂ emissions and leading consumer of energy, has the unique opportunity and responsibility to shape the global environmental future.

Description:

Output 1. (short-term) Design a carbon neutral field campus with the following design components: structural systems, building envelope, environmental systems, site construction, building materials, information technology, spatial systems and integration of systems.

Seven student teams produced 7 carbon-neutral master plans. Student test-of-concept designs showed that the intentions of the project are feasible and a very small carbon footprint is possible. The central design team then synthesized a final master plan with the following plan highlights:

• Guest cabins are arranged in ‘pods’ built with different building materials to illustrate alternative building materials: rammed earth, straw bale and cordwood will be showcased.
• Payette Lake is the central place element. A line of site is established through the center of the campus. The classroom and dining lodge, as the central activity areas, are located on the lake with easy access.
• Old growth Ponderosa Pine trees were marked, retained and incorporated into naturalist educational node. The viewshed from the lake itself is also protected by a ‘green belt.’
• A living machine/greenhouse is featured at the center of campus highlighting education opportunities and increasing efficiency of wastewater treatment. Food systems education is facilitated by greenhouse and composting systems.
• A Biomass powerplant is located close to Ponderosa State Park for easy offloading of fuel.
• Recycled, salvaged or engineered yet low VOC composite construction and furnishing materials used in every building.
• Passive solar gain, natural lighting and natural ventilation design increases energy efficiency and connection to natural systems.
• Photovoltaic roof panels are on appropriate (less shady) buildings. Wind power is featured by the dock. Though active solar and wind energy will play a tangential role in energy production due to predominant shade and inconsistent wind speeds, they are important educational additions. Educational energy center monitors output from all energy sources.
• Roof rainwater collection used for fire response, landscape irrigation and living machine.

Output 2. (short-term) Synthesize final facilities plan under the guidance of industry professionals during Industry Collaboration-Design Work Sessions.

During spring 2008, a master plan was synthesized under the guidance of industry professionals and the central design team. Involvement of professional was important in establishing infrastructure needs, water targets, building phases, viability of renewable energy possibilities and the overall site plan. This spring synthesis, including 2 charrettes and additional industry and stakeholder involvement, was an additional portion of the project that emerged as necessary after completion of the fall semester and 7 initial master plan drafts. Addition of the spring synthesis pushed the building phase of the project back to summer 2009.

Output 3. (short-term) Conduct Summer Design-Build Workshops where UI students work with industry professionals to learn hands-on carbon neutral building techniques.

Summer Design-Build Workshops will be conducted in summer 2009. As noted above, the additional plan synthesis and stakeholder involvement phase in spring 2008 made this delay necessary.

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Project Information:

This project seeks to capitalize on the plethora of recent advances in green technology in order to pioneer a built environment that seamlessly weaves together green concepts in energy efficiency, building and finish materials, space planning and use, water treatment, and site construction with an emphasis on using the built environment as a model and teaching tool for applied sustainability. University of Idaho (UI) graduate and undergraduate students specializing in architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, and interior design will work in interdisciplinary teams with the Ponderosa Institute staff to plan and design a carbon-neutral environmental learning center at the UI McCall field campus. Selected students will then partner with industry professionals to synthesize and implement a facilities plan for the field campus. As Idaho’s only environmental learning center, the resulting facilities will be uniquely poised to showcase sustainability in a state that is expected to experience a 50% rise in population in the next three decades, but which lacks the necessary models for sustainable growth to facilitate such an increase without compromising environmental quality. Over a thousand visitors each year will participate in programs that use the field campus architecture as pedagogy. This student, faculty, and industry partnership will be the first such team to take up the carbon-neutral challenge in a comprehensive and applied fashion.

This project seeks to capitalize on the plethora of recent advances in green technology in order to pioneer a built environment that seamlessly weaves together green concepts in energy efficiency, building and finish materials, space planning and use, water treatment, and site construction with an emphasis on using the built environment as a model and teaching tool for applied sustainability. University of Idaho (UI) graduate and undergraduate students specializing in architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, and interior design will work in interdisciplinary teams with the Ponderosa Institute staff to plan and design a carbon-neutral environmental learning center at the UI McCall field campus. Selected students will then partner with industry professionals to synthesize and implement a facilities plan for the field campus. As Idaho’s only environmental learning center, the resulting facilities will be uniquely poised to showcase sustainability in a state that is expected to experience a 50% rise in population in the next three decades, but which lacks the necessary models for sustainable growth to facilitate such an increase without compromising environmental quality. Over a thousand visitors each year will participate in programs that use the field campus architecture as pedagogy. This student, faculty, and industry partnership will be the first such team to take up the carbon-neutral challenge in a comprehensive and applied fashion.

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