The R.W. Kern Center on Hampshire College’s campus was conceived as a multi-functional welcome center to educate and inspire the next generation of leaders in sustainability.
In 2018, the Kern Center was officially certified as a Living Building by the International Living Building Institute (ILFI), the most advanced green-building standard. At 17,000 square feet, it was one of the first Living Buildings certified and the largest Living Certified higher-education project in the world. It was designed by Bruner/Cott Architects and built by Wright Builders, Inc.
The TernSOLAR grant initiated the Kern Center Solar Challenge in support of the installation of a 119 kW solar array. Set in the context of a larger capital campaign, the funding also provided an opportunity to motivate donors to give while engaging and educating Hampshire’s community around its values, the Living Building Challenge, and the many benefits of energy efficiency with solar power as a renewable energy option.
Grant Amount: $80,000
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Our buildings should teach in themselves, so that people who come to Hampshire see who we are and what we do. Constructing Kern to be sustainable makes you wonder why buildings are built any other way.
— JONATHAN LASH, PRESIDENT, HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE (2011-2018)