Practicing what you preach

New England Journal of Higher Education, The, Summer 1998

The following items are among the "environmental features" built into the recently completed, $3.25 million New Classroom Building at Vermont Law School, according to a college fact sheet. The South Royalton, Vt., college is known for its programs in environmental law.

Composting toilets, which do not require any water, are on the New Classroom Building's main and upper levels.

Aerobic bacteria will convert waste into potential fertilizer.

Fixtures will be removed from other campus structures, allowing Vermont Law School to reduce its overall water demand.

The reduced water demand is a substantial benefit to the Town of Royalton's small municipal water system.

In contrast with most buildings, the New Classroom Building does not send ventilated air to unoccupied rooms.

Ventilating only rooms that are occupied is the New Classroom Building's principal energy-saving strategy.

Enthalpic energy recovery wheel [located within the ventilation air ductwork] controls humidity, recycles exhaust heat.

By transferring heat and water vapor, the wheel will keep the building from becoming too dry in the winter or too humid in the summer.

The wheel recovers 80 percent of the heat in exhaust air, transferring it to the incoming fresh air.

Photoelectric lighting controls turn off corridor lighting when sufficient natural light is present.

Lights are turned off automatically once users leave a classroom.

Outdoor site lighting includes high-pressure sodium lighting,

the most efficient electric lighting for larger, open spaces.

Products of combustion from heating equipment have been eliminated. The building is so efficient that it is heated by oil-fired boilers installed in adjacent Whitcomb House. The new building did not require any heating equipment, chimneys or fuel storage tanks.

Moisture-induced biological factors such as molds and dust mites have been prevented by design.

Construction materials were carefully chosen to minimize harmful fumes, including water-based paints and finishes, non-formaldehyde particle board for cabinetry and casework and natural linoleum [made from linseed oil, wood flour and cork] instead of vinyl flooring.