The long-awaited new environmentally-friendly residence hall, Cedarwood, is nearing completion at Eastern Mennonite University.
The facility, which replaces the 40-year-old Oakwood residence, will meet basic LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards at a minimum.
“Approximately 85 percent of construction waste from the building site is being recycled,” reported C. Eldon Kurtz, EMU physical plant director. “That’s just one of the green features of this overall project that we’re really proud of.”
Cedarwood will be EMU’s first LEED-certified building. The U.S. Green Building Council manages the rating system. An interactive display inside the main lobby will highlight the building’s green features, sharing information about vendors and products for green building.
“Part of the emphasis of green building is creating a healthful environment for occupants,” Kurtz stated. “This building will be an aesthetically pleasing community place that will have a lesser impact on this corner of creation, and, we hope, inspire others to consider green building options.”
Some of the green features in the building include extensive use of natural lighting, flooring made of recycled and natural materials, a bioretention filtration system to manage rainwater runoff, a bike shed with a “green” roof, native landscaping, low flow water fixtures and more.
The project is being made possible through collaboration with many partners – in particular Troyer Group, long-time architects for EMU based in Mishawaka, Ind., and Harman Construction, Inc., of Harrisonburg. Mast and Brunk Mechanical and Trumbo Electrical contractors have been involved in EMU projects since 1991.
A live webcam of the Cedarwood project can be accessed at www.emu.edu/begreen/new-dorm/new-dorm-webcam.
“The sustainability emphasis of Cedarwood fits with EMU’s mission , from Micah 6:8, to “do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God,” (Micah 6:8) with each other and with creation,” Kurtz said. “It’s a place where students experience community as they prepare to serve and lead in a global context.”
Other EMU sustainability initiatives include a campus garden that supplies locally-grown produce for the dining hall, a Creation Care Council composed of students, faculty and staff that meets regularly during the academic year. EMU staffs a full-time recycling coordinator, Jonathan Lantz-Trissel, who helped EMU win national recognition two years in a row for recycling efforts.
Professors have developed sustainability-focused courses like “green design” and “compost research” and are applying them to campus issues with real-life results. New majors added to the undergraduate curriculum – environmental sustainability and peacebuilding and development – uniquely combine concern for the earth and God’s people with practical skill training.
New and returning students will arrive on campus the weekend of Aug. 29-30. Fall semester classes begin 8 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1.
– Story by Andrea Wenger and Jim Bishop
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