AMHERST,聽Mass. 鈥斅燭o the layperson, the term “net-zero” might sound like something is amiss with one’s business. These days, if you’re in the business of building green-themed colleges, it’s the pinnacle of achievement. One such facility is the new聽R.W. Kern Center聽on the Hampshire College campus in Amherst, Mass.

Designed by Cambridge-based firm聽Bruner/Cott & Associates, the 17,000-square-foot R.W. Kern Center聽has been certified as a Living Building by the聽听(滨尝贵滨).

鈥淭his project was transformational for our firm,鈥� said Principal-in-Charge Jason Forney in a statement. 鈥淎 warming planet, scarcity of good water, human inequality and the destruction of a fragile environment call for a rapid evolution in thinking about how buildings can have positive impacts. The Living Building Challenge offers a rigorous but flexible framework for that thinking.鈥�

Hampshire聽alumnus Jonathan Wright, founder and senior advisor of聽Wright Builders, Inc., served as construction manager.

The building is now part of a roster that includes just 16 other presently certified and is remarkable as the world’s largest such Living Certified higher-education project. The center cost $10.4 million, including $7.4 million in construction and was funded entirely by donors, most notably the family of alumnus William 鈥淏ill鈥� Kern, who also gifted their name to the structure.

鈥淭he R.W. Kern Center represents聽Hampshire鈥檚 mission and values, who we are and what we believe,鈥� said Hampshire聽College President Jonathan Lash in a statement. 鈥淭he building鈥檚 value is in teaching what鈥檚 possible and inspiring questions about how we impact our surroundings. For everyone who visits the center 鈥� which operates net-zero energy, water and waste; avoids toxic materials; and reduces our carbon footprint鈥攚e want them to ask, 鈥榃hy would anyone build any other way?'”

The center unfolded in stages, beginning with a multifunctional welcome center that came online in April 2016.聽Boasting a central double-height, glass-pavilion atrium that houses a caf茅, lounge and gallery, the structure showcases the surrounding natural environs with impressive views. Admissions and financial aid offices are sequestered in two stone-clad wings.聽Classrooms boast views聽of a nearby amphitheater, and rainwater harvesting reservoirs and a solar farm, as well as an orchard and wildflower meadow, thrive throughout the campus.

Among the features that underscore the building’s energy efficiency are its rooftop solar canopy that generates electricity and a rainwater harvesting system that supplies drinking water for the building. Moreover, the聽project鈥檚 rainwater collection and treatment systems are complemented by composting toilets and a聽greywater-infiltration system. The result is net-zero water usage. Likewise, the photo-voltaic roof generates approximately聽17 percent more energy than the building actually uses.聽

“This beautiful, ambitious project demonstrates the power of possibility, which is the very essence of regenerative design,” said Amanda Sturgeon, CEO of ILFI, in a statement. “A visionary project owner, a skilled and curious design team, and a construction manager who brought craftsmanship to a new level have all conspired to create a building that will not only sustain聽Hampshire聽College, but also the entire community of learners who will experience the beauty and resilience of the Kern Center year after year.鈥�

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