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Oberlin College Pushes Green Building Envelope

A building for the Lewis Center for Environmental Studies at Oberlin College is one of the most advanced green building in the U.S. boasting a long list of innovative technology. The building is projected to use only 21 percent as much energy as a typical building. Mechanical heating and cooling are provided by geothermal heat pumps. Occupied spaces will enjoy 100 percent outside ventilation air, while a heat exchanger will recapture heat from outgoing stale air. The sun will provide daylighting and heating through a host of solar-friendly design features. A photovoltaic array (3,700 sq. ft.) should provide more electricity than the 64,000 kWh needed to power the building. The building envelope is highly insulated with R-30 to R-40 in the roof and R-21 in the masonry walls. The lighting load will be only 0.9 watts/sq. ft.Low VOC finishes will be used throughout the building. All wood will be certified to come from well managed forests under Forest Stewardship Council standards. Recycled content materials will include steel in framing, aluminum in roof, window frames and curtain walls as well as ceramic tile. A Living Machine will process waste water. The design team includes William McDonough and Partners, Lev Zetlin and Associates, Steven Winter Associates, the Rocky Mountain Institutes, Hal Levin, Living Machines and many more. The CES Web site offers detailed information along with many construction photos.
 
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