COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC, CENTER FOR HUMAN ECOLOGY | Mount Desert Island, ME
2021 | Susan T Rodriguez | Architecture • Design with OPAL / Architecture Research Design
Sited between sweeping views of Frenchman’s Bay and Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, a constellation of six interconnected projects at College of the Atlantic weave together the interdisciplinary study of Human Ecology with environmental sustainability. Inspired by the unique culture and character of the oceanfront campus, the overall design is a celebration of the many facets of life at College of the Atlantic.
The projects will be phased over the next few years to transform the primary arrival sequence and northern end of campus. The new Center for Human Ecology, the first phase of the project, forms the academic core of the College, framing an existing outdoor landscape and gathering space while maintaining views through the building to the Atlantic Ocean—the College’s backdrop and namesake. Embracing the inter-disciplinary nature of the curriculum, the organization of the Center for Human Ecology integrates labs and studios around shared flexible spaces that foster exchange and collaboration. Construction of the Center follows the German Passive House standard for energy performance, representing an 80% reduction in energy use versus comparable code-compliant construction.
COA’s New Building Will use 80 Percent Less Energy
Transformative Campus Project Set for COA
Groundbreaking Planned at COA
College of the Atlantic Magazine Spring 2019 (page 28-37)
