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Wei: ‘Green’ building in plans for campus
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The largest used equipment inventory in the Mid-Atlantic is only a click away. Visit our website by clicking here or visit us at one of our 11 locations throughout MD, DE, VA and PA.
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Wei: ‘Green’ building in plans for campus
10.16.2007
This is an artist’s rendering of the proposed green building for the Central Maryland Research and Education Center in Clarksville, Md.
Illustration courtesy University of Md. AGNR
By SEAN CLOUGHERTY
Staff Reporter
CLARKSVILLE, Md. — The University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources announced plans last week for a “green building” at the Central Maryland Research and Education Center.
The proposed building would be the new headquarters for the research farm, as well as the new home for other university and Extension programs.
“This is going to provide the future of research and the future of sustainability and the nature of agriculture,” said Dr. Cheng-i Wei, dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Wei added the building will set an example for other universities with green buildings.
The building plans were announced at a breakfast on Oct. 6 held at the research farm during the farm’s field day. The estimated cost of the building is between $12 million to $15 million, according to Brian Magness, director of development for the college. It will be the first platinum-certified green building by the United States Green Building Council on a land grant university campus and will allow the university to do better research, education and outreach three of the tenets of the land grant system, Magness said.
The fundraising was kicked off at the breakfast with a $250,000 contribution from the Howard County government. Magness said he hoped to have enough money raised to begin construction in two to three years.
Presenting the Howard County contribution, Ken Ulman, county executive said he supports the project because it is a good way to keep the research farm from development.
“We want to keep this property in preservation in perpetuity,” Ulman said. “Frankly, the more investment that is put into the facility is a great way to preserve this facility.”
The estimated size of the building is 34,500 square feet and will house the Home and Garden Information Center, Master Gardener program, 4-H Equine program and the Howard County Extension office. The plan includes a 300-seat conference room that will be open to the public as well as the university and an outdoor pavilion for meetings and demonstrations.
Magness said the plan is awaiting university approval and a site on the research farm has not yet been chosen. Depending on the site, the design of the building could change, he said.
The building’s design concept is to integrate it with the existing landscape and minimize its impact and reduce energy usage and costs. The design includes “green” roofs covered in vegetation and water-pervious surfaces in parking lots to reduce runoff, a silo wind turbine to generate energy for the building and a living machine that will biologically treat waste and waste water.
Light tubes will channel natural light into the building, reducing energy usage and rain collection systems will conserve and recycle water for cooling the building and irrigation.
Stan Sersen, an architect with Architectural Support Group in Jessup, Md., helped with the design and said his intent was to “capture the spirit” of the property in the building.
He said the exterior was designed to have a “barn setting” with part of the building having a residential look to be inviting to visitors.
Magness said in addition to the traditional research at the new building, the building itself will be a “living laboratory” studied for its energy savings environmental and cost benefits.
“This will be a major tool for the college and its needs,” Magness said.