Kohler Environmental Center

Some schools build environmentally responsible buildings; some schools teach environmental responsibility. At Choate Rosemary Hall, the Kohler Environmental Center, a laboratory for living, brings these two objectives together. The new 31,325-square-foot academic and residential facility, designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification and net-zero energy usage, will accommodate cohorts of up to 20 students for a total-immersion environmental living experience. As students live at the center and take their classes and meals there, the building will offer them control of their own environment; feedback from the building's monitoring systems will enable them to teach themselves important lessons about how to live sustainably and responsibly.

The Kohler Environmental Center will be approached by a footpath over a wooded wetland ravine, leading to a central, south-facing courtyard. A cloister lining the courtyard will link the Kohler Center's program functions—14 dormitory rooms, faculty apartments, common spaces, classrooms, laboratories, and a state-of-the-art research greenhouse. The building's materials will reflect its rustic nature—native stone walls, stained cedar trim, and Hardie plank siding.

Set in the midst of 268 acres of meadows, agricultural fields, second-growth forest, and wetlands, the Kohler Center will allow students to learn from the site's exceptional biodiversity and range of habitats. Another goal of the Center will be to teach environmental stewardship through sustainable design. 100% of the building's annual energy needs will be provided by a 250-kilowatt photovoltaic array, roof-mounted thermal solar panels, and waste cooking oil. A highly-efficient building envelope, developed daylight harvesting strategy, and careful solar orientation will optimize building performance, while monitoring systems encourage students to compete with each other to minimize their own energy consumption.

For more information, visit: http://www.choate.edu/aboutchoate/kohler_environmental_center.aspx