On Monday, June 14, 2010, the faculty of the Environment and Natural Resources Program moved their offices into the Kendall House, located on 8th and Fremont. This environmentally friendly building houses the Haub School, the Ruckelshaus Institute, and the Wyoming Conservation Corps.
The Kendall House is a standing example of the three basic environmentally friendly rules: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
The most environmentally friendly feature of the Kendall House is that it is a renovated 1954 prairie house. The reuse of an existing building is the best way to prevent unnecessary construction waste and environmental threats. The original floors and walls of the house still remain, and these preserve the original quality of the home. The new addition to the building was designed to match the fifties style of the house.
The Kendall House works to effectively reduce the amount of energy used inside the building. Numerous windows provide natural light and heat, while eliminating the need for forced air. All appliances are Energy Star compliant. In addition, solar panels provide about 28 percent of the energy used in the Kendall House.
All flooring and surfaces are made from green, rapidly renewable materials, including rubber, bamboo, marmoleum (a plant-based linoleum), and carpet tiles made from recycled materials. Furniture was reused and reallocated from other University buildings. All newly purchased furniture was manufactured from sustainable harvested wood.
The Bergman Gardens, named for former ENR director Harold Bergman, are an outdoor area for students, faculty, and staff to relax and enjoy. This xeriscape was designed using buffalo grass and low water adapted plants to reduce the amount of water needed to maintain the garden.
Each environmentally friendly feature in the Kendall House is possible for the every household. “We wanted the Kendall House to be a model for residential scale living,” says Nicole Korfanta, Associate Director. Every green decision made during construction of the Kendall House is available for domestic homes, not exclusively large companies and universities.
The Kendall House is seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED is the recognized standard for measuring building sustainability and includes a rating system with four certification levels: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Though still uncertain, the Kendall House is expected to receive the Silver certification.
An open house of the Kendall House is scheduled for Friday, September 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. Public and campus tours of the building will be available soon.
The Kendall House was made possible by a generous gift from Donald and Bim Kendall. The project also received funding from the Kresge Foundation, Rocky Mountain Power, and the Wyoming State Legislature.