College of the Atlantic
OP-3: Building Design and Construction

All six buildings below were constructed or renovated 100% in compliance with College of the Atlantic’s Sustainable Building Policy:
Center for Human Ecology (Academic Building) - 27240 sf new construction in March 2020: The all-electric Davis Center for Human Ecology opened for classes for the 2021 spring term It is COA’s first purpose-built academic building since the early 1990s. The building overlooking Frenchman Bay houses science laboratories, classrooms, flexible lecture halls, faculty offices, art and design studios, and a teaching greenhouse. Currently over 60% of all classes are held in this innovative space. The Center will consume 80% less energy than a comparable code-compliant building. The building makes extensive use of low-embodied carbon and locally sourced materials, which radically reduce its lifecycle carbon footprint, effectively neutralizing the environmental impact of its construction. In addition, all windows feature innovative bird-friendly glazing to mitigate bird collisions.

Studio 7 (Pottery Studio) - 1000 sf renovated in spring 2018: Insulated and air sealed in compliance with COA’s Sustainable Building Policy, this project was also a workshop for students to learn hands-on renovation and re-insulation techniques
Witchcliff Apartments (Student Housing) - 1400 sf renovated in summer 2018 and again in spring 2022: Exterior paint, insulated and air sealed in compliance with COA’s Sustainable Building Policy, air source heat pumps added to replace oil boiler.
Cottage House (Student Housing) - 960 sf renovated in summer 2018 and again in spring 2022: New roof, insulated and air sealed in compliance with COA’s Sustainable Building Policy, air source heat pumps added to replace oil boiler
Peach House (Student Housing) - 1100 sf renovated in 2019: Insulated and air sealed in compliance with COA’s Sustainable Building Policy, air source heat pumps added to replace oil boiler
Seafox (Student Housing) - 6400 sf renovated summer 2020: A student crew worked with a member of Buildings and Grounds staff to complete this renovation of Bedroom #4 and two of the 2nd floor bathrooms. The wall plaster was taken down, and the walls were reinsulated and sheetrocked. The windows were replaced and upgraded, and the exterior walls were reshingled around the new windows. New low-flow toilets and showers were also installed.

College of the Atlantic had energy audits performed for all on-campus buildings and for auxiliary buildings associated with the college's off-site farms. These energy audits provided the College with valuable baseline data and will help us prioritize efficiency renovations for buildings most in need. This goes hand-in-hand with our sustainable building policy, and will further reduce our heating costs as we strive to achieve freedom from fossil fuels. Buildings renovated during this time period include the Davis Center for Human Ecology, Studio 7 (Pottery Studio), Witchcliff Apartments, Cottage House, Peach House, and Seafox.