Note: This event has sold out.

$20 members/$25 non-members

CEUs: AIA 2.0 LU/HSW; 2 General LFA CE credits

NESEA's first virtual Pro Tour of 2021, hosted by Kaplan Thompson Architects, featured a recently completed non-profit campus built for Living Building Challenge certification. This ambitious project is the result of collaboration between three architecture firms: Kaplan Thompson Architects, Simons Architects, and BRIBURN. The architects were joined by additional members of the project team to share the key strategies used in pursuit of the certification, including materials selection, mechanical systems, and the design and construction approach. 

About the Event

Through a mix of presentation and small group breakout rooms, we used a format that preserves the interactive, behind-the-scenes vibe that has made NESEA’s Pro Tours so popular.

Unlike a traditional webinar, attendees come with their mics and cameras on: as a participant in this event, we were able to see and hear other attendees, ask content experts questions directly, and meet new people in the NESEA community

About the Project

This Pro Tour showcased the recently-constructed campus of the Ecology School, a non-profit organization that needed its new headquarters to reflect its environmental mission. Located in Southern Maine, the campus was designed for Living Building Challenge certification. It needed to meet rigorous standards while providing a comfortable, resilient, and safe learning home for the non-profits programs. Among other features, the PV array is anticipated to generate 105% of campus energy demand, and the enclosures include R-35 walls, R-50 roofs, an insulated R-20 slab and triple-glazed windows and doors.

A major innovation is the all-electric commercial kitchen designed to serve 200 people in one sitting. This is achieved by using the most advanced energy efficient equipment available, including convection surfaces and ovens to reduce energy consumption and the need for large, inefficient fume hoods; food stored in super-insulated coolers and freezers powered by advanced, non-ozone depleting refrigerants, and other strategies. Right-sizing mechanical equipment throughout the project was another major strategy used in pursuit of the certification. 

The project was honored with the Maine Environmental Education Association 2018 Ally of the Year award.

Event Schedule

Please contact Florence (fmacgregor@nesea.org) with any questions about this event.