Bennington - For its design of Bennington College's biomass heating facility, Centerline Architects and Planners has earned an Excellence in Architecture Award from Vermont Chapter of The American Institute of Architects.
‘Modernist' building
The Bennington-based firm earned a Merit Award in the "Industrial" category "because it challenged the standard notion of a utility building," the AIA jury said.
While the positive effects on the environment and long-term savings on oil were the reasons the school purchased the wood chip heating system, now operating in its second winter, Centerline's design makes the utility structure a piece of architecture that contributes to the rest of the campus.
Centerline President Gary Corey said the biomass system, which is attached the maintenance facility, is located in "a fairly prominent position on campus," so its architectural design needed to fit with the rest of the campus.
"One of the things we tried to do is create a building that fit in and when viewed from different points on campus had a distinct art design to it that fit into the campus," he said.
Corey said Centerline's design was inspired by images of power plants, green plants and the international style, while trying to keep some of the feel of the original facility.
"The existing building was a modernist building, it was one of the first on the campus, so we tried to tie in with that and do a building that was sympathetic to that and stuck out in its own way," Corey said.
Other environmentally friendly design elements include a roof-top garden that decreases runoff and shades trees in order to reduce solar heat in the summer; operational windows that provide fresh air and natural light; and high-efficiency lighting and heating systems.
Going into the second winter since construction, the 4,800-square-foot biomass heating facility heats 85 percent of the campus using renewable wood chips -- resulting in a drastic reduction of the campus' carbon output.
The college predicts the long-term savings on oil are expected to pay for the conversion costs within seven years.
Corey said the award marks the company's fourth time being recognized by the state chapter of the AIA since 2002.
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