They Say They Want A Revolution
- By Rama Ramaswami
- 10/01/08
As sustainability efforts gather steam on campuses
nationwide, educators find eco-friendly dorms an effective way
to educate students about environmental issues.
EVEN IF YOU DON'T believe-- and it's getting increasingly difficult not
to-- that the "green revolution" on college campuses is akin to the great movements for
social change that rocked universities in the 1960s and '70s, there's no denying that it
has taken root in such a way that no campus administrator can afford to ignore it. And
unlike the flower children of yesteryear, today's students are pragmatists: Their environmental
activism is actually spearheading what many social scientists and business leaders
herald as the next major grassroots movement to effect social change.
In fact, educators emphasize that green technologies are exceptionally suited to an
academic environment, since they offer a major opportunity to teach students how ecofriendly
principles apply to daily life. Houston's Rice University, for example, is set to
build a green residence hall that demonstrates sustainability in operation.
"We have a strong educational commitment to this building," says Rice's Director of
Sustainability Richard Johnson. "We want this to be a teaching tool, not just a structure
to live in. We've looking for ways of educating students. This is a university. It's about
pedagogy. Why can't buildings be pedagogical?
In keeping with the school’s holistic
vision, three new Pitzer residence halls
are constructed of locally
manufactured recycled materials.
Dorm as Green Model
The new residence hall will be the first
structure at Rice-- and among the first
buildings in Houston-- to receive gold-level
certification from the US Green
Building Council's Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED) standards
program. (LEED
certification is a nationally accepted standard
for the design, construction, and
operation of eco-friendly buildings.
Scores are awarded for performance in
five areas: sustainable site development,
water savings, energy efficiency, materials
selection, and indoor environmental
quality. Buildings are deemed "certified,"
"silver," "gold," or "platinum," depending
on the number of credits they earn in
each category.) Funded by former US
Energy Secretary Charles Duncan and his
wife, the $30 million residence hall (to be
christened Duncan College when it opens
in 2009), will measure roughly 110,000
square feet and house 324 students.
According to Johnson, the university is
taking "quite a lot of time and care to
select the right materials," using recycled,
regional, and organic materials
wherever possible. Selections include
low-emission paints and hardwood or
cork flooring, which eliminate the chemicals
and other contaminants found in carpeting.
One of the building's many green
features are energy-saving interlocking
thermostats from Smart Systems International
(acquired in 2007 by Telkonet). These thermostats
shut off air conditioners when windows
or doors are open, whether or not the student
is in the room. While this concept is
not new, "The linking of known technologies
is unique," says Johnson. "We
haven't seen it done quite this way."