Carbon hero

Colby College

When Colby College set a goal to be net zero, the school established a key strategy for success in supplementing their gas fired boilers with a wood chip boiler plant. They engaged Rist Frost Shumway Engineering for systems design and in turn RFS asked ARC to partner with them for the architectural design. This project clearly needed to be more than a mechanical shed in the woods, and ARC enthusiastically took on the challenge to support Colby’s carbon neutrality goals.

Presentation Mode

Front of House

While mechanical buildings are often hidden away, ARC recognized that this facility could offer opportunities for current and prospective students to learn and understand the implications of forward thinking sustainability. The building has become a point of pride for the school and is often included on campus tours.

Sustainability in Motion

The design of the facility encourages curiosity and engages passersby. The exterior corrugated siding is the same color as the existing boiler but is detailed to catch the eye and make evident the process and material movement happening inside.

Net Zero in 2013

Firing up the biomass boiler was the lynchpin project prior to Colby’s declaration of carbon neutrality in April 2013.

Waste Not

This project was the final piece in place to allow Colby College to hit net-zero greenhouse emissions, however, this project went beyond this target. Wet wood chips do not burn well, and the efficiency of this fuel type tends to decrease rapidly. At the same time, the boiler room itself needs to release a significant amount of dry heat. ARC worked with our engineering partners to investigate the idea of using the warm dry heat from the plant to dry the incoming chips. This choice shows a thoughtfulness of how waste energy can be captured smartly and put to good use.