Bowdoin College – Brunswick, Maine
On October 11, 2018, Bowdoin College dedicated its greenest and most advanced academic building to date. The Roux Center for the Environment brings together faculty and students from across the spectrum to tackle a range of environmental issues.
Building on a $10-million lead gift from a college trustee and his wife, the parents of a recent graduate, is setting a precedent through the realization of innovative architectural design coupled with sophisticated, forward-thinking academic planning. The 29,167 square foot center has been constructed to meet LEED Platinum standards—the highest level of certification issued by the US Green Building Council’s rating system. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and the program recognizes buildings for their sustainability, energy efficiency, and environmental impact.
The building is green from top to bottom, literally in the case of the top, where a 2,820-square-foot vegetative roof garden contributes to the center’s official environmental certification, both by absorbing stormwater runoff and by serving as another layer of insulation. Additionally, the roof terrace will be used as an outdoor teaching area. Also on the roof, rainwater is collected and filtered into a 1500-gallon storage tank in the basement. That water is then used to flush the toilets.
Sebago worked closely with C7A Architects, and Steven Stimson Associates and was responsible for the Site Engineering and Permitting including; Maine Department of Environmental Protection and Town of Brunswick Site Plan Approval.
The site consists of a complex stormwater treatment basin and low impact site design that allows the College to maintain impervious credit surplus through the Maine DEP. Creative solutions were developed to incorporate necessary site engineering components with artfully designed aesthetic spaces.
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