Hitchcock Center for the Environment (Living Building)
Amherst, MA
The Hitchcock Center for the Environment is an environmental education center in Amherst that has been built to meet the stringent standards of the Living Building Challenge™ (LBC). Linnean was hired as a sustainability consultant under the direction of designLAB architecture firm to manage the LBC certification process and to help develop systems for environmental performance monitoring and data display.
Linnean’s role included compiling technical documentation and coordinating with the project team and the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) to verify that the Center’s systems met Living Building requirements. Additionally, Linnean designed an innovative system to monitor the building’s real-time energy, water, and environmental data. The Center’s building dashboard displays this data, aiming to educate visitors on the ways in which this “Living Building” supports and mimics the surrounding natural systems.