SUSTAINABLE EFFORTS IN PROGRESS AT UVM

March 25, 2011

One of the projects my team is currently constructing is the $7.1 million renovation and expansion to the George D. Aiken Center at The University of Vermont. The work includes the renovation of 37,000 square feet of the existing three-story building and construction of a new 2,300 square foot solarium.

Originally constructed in the 1980s, the building is considered by the University as outdated and inefficient. While most institutions will wait much longer before incorporating such major renovations, the George D. Aiken Center houses the Rubenstein School of Natural Resources, the school’s environmental program. Given the inefficiencies of the building and the substantial increase in environmental studies, this project comes at an especially fitting time.

UVM is seeking to obtain a LEED Platinum status for the renovation of the building which will feature a green roof, natural lighting and ventilation, building materials selected for their recycled and regional content, and components made from rapidly renewable materials. Both the renovated building and solarium will feature millwork harvested from UVM’s own research forest in Jericho, Vermont. The University will oversee the drying and milling of the wood, which is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, and supply it to PC’s millwork subcontractor. In addition, an Eco-Machine designed by a graduate of the Rubenstein School, will be incorporated into the new solarium as a natural wastewater treatment system.

Upon completion in October 2011, the building is expected to use less than one-third the energy it used prior to renovation.