Event Description

Come explore the R.W. Kern Center, one of just 17 certified Living Buildings in the world. See how rainwater is collected, filtered, and treated to supply the building’s potable water. Check out the greywater system to learn how wastewater is filtered via the building’s indoor plants and sent outdoors to a constructed wetland. We’ll lift the lid on the composting toilets, check in on the rooftop solar, and see how we keep tabs on where the electricity goes. We’ll also take look at the finishes and materials that make up a Living Building, and some clever and puzzling details you might miss on a casual walk-through. This tour is an authentic account of what makes our Living Building tick- the challenges, setbacks, and successes.

 

About the R.W. Kern Center:

The R.W. Kern Center is the 17th certified Living Building in the world, an embodiment of Hampshire’s values in practice and ideas in action.

It meets the stringent requirements of the world’s most advanced green building standard, the Living Building Challenge: it generates its own electricity, collects and treats its own water, and is built with local, non-toxic, and low-carbon materials. The 17,000-sq-ft building is a major piece of Hampshire’s broad sustainability initiatives to make campus operations carbon neutral. This multi-functional building also serves as a living laboratory where students and the public study its innovative systems and performance.

Public tours are offered twice-monthly during the school year. There is no fee, but advanced registration is appreciated to so the Center can prepare appropriately. If there are no tours listed past these dates, please reach out to schedule a private tour for your school, group, or yourself. 

While you’re on location, check out the neighbors over at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, another Living Building Challenge project: https://www.hitchcockcenter.org/