innovation
20
HOmEr sCIENCE & s TUdENT lIFE CENTrE, a THEr TON
BUIldINg UsE: assembly, education
wOrK: new construction
sIzE: 4100 sqm
COmplETEd: August 2009
Founded in 1898 by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, Sacred
Heart Preparatory is a coeducational high school. Michael
J Homer was an early Silicon Valley pioneer who played
an important role in the development of the personal
computer and the internet. In honour of Homer and the
innovative culture he helped to create, the Homer Centre
brings together science, community and nature in a unique
educational environment. The building is an unusual hybrid of
sophisticated science classrooms and a 700-seat auditorium
in spaces that inspire scientific inquiry, foster a strong
learning community and promote environmental stewardship.
OmEga CENTEr FOr sUs TaINaBlE lIvINg, rHINEBECK
BUIldINg UsE: laboratory, learning centre
wOrK: new construction
sIzE: 576 sqm
COmplETEd: May 2009
Founded in 1977, the Omega Institute is the largest holistic
learning centre in the US. Their mission is “to look everywhere
for the most effective strategies and inspiring traditions that ...
bring more meaning and vitality into people’s lives.”
In 2006 they set out to develop a new and highly sustainable
wastewater filtration facility. The primary goal was to overhaul
the wastewater disposal system by using alternative methods of
treatment. They decided to showcase the system in a building
that houses both the primary treatment cells as well as a
classroom and laboratory. In addition to using the treated water
for garden irrigation and in a greywater recovery system, they
use both the system and building as a teaching tool.
Environmental gains
The Homer Center connects students to the natural world on
a daily basis. The design encourages scientific inquiry, linking
the school’s science curriculum to the building’s functions
through the seasons – how it breathes, resists gravity,
conserves precious resources and generates energy.
Through a variety of simple, observable strategies, the
project models advance resource efficiency and greenhouse
gas reduction, reducing site energy use by 69 per cent from
the US national average for schools. Potable water use is
reduced by over 50 per cent.
One big idea
The building achieves resource conservation through simple,
compact building forms, efficient structural systems,
sophisticated composting and waste management programs,
and the use of recycled, renewable and regional materials.
The Homer Centre achieves some 70 per cent energy savings in simple, effective ways the students can witness.
wastewater management ranks high on the Omega Center’s list of priorities.
Environmental gains
The design team selected biological wastewater treatment
technologies to clean the water using natural systems
including the earth, plants and sunlight.
The entire building and water process use site harvested
renewable energy achieving a net zero energy system. This
requires the facility to be free of waste and to harvest solar
energy for passive heating and lighting, using the entire mass
for thermal comfort.
The result is a careful balance of passive (daylight,
passive solar heating, natural ventilation) and mechanical
(geothermal, fans, electric lighting) comfort systems.
One big idea
Plants growing in the interior lagoons require very precise
solar energy levels on both their south and north exposures
– the design delivers an integrated system to those needs and
creates a memorable experience.
