The college wanted to ensure the riverfront was also made accessible to the community through pedestrian paths linked to a larger “rails to trails” connection. These meandering paths roam through a mix of native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees that work to restore the site to a productive habitat area. SGEH was designed to meet the holistic standards of the Living Building Challenge Petal Certification, which focuses on regenerative buildings that connect occupants to nature. A testament to Washington College’s waterfront renaissance, the net-positive building relies solely on renewable energy sources to operate pollutant-free year-round, producing over 105 percent of its energy intake on- site utilizing 300 rooftop photovoltaic solar panels and a ground-source geothermal heating and cooling system.

To meaningfully integrate biophilic design, the team hosted workshops with the design and consultant team, contractor, professors, and researchers. They began by talking about shared experiences in nature to develop a vision for how users would connect to the environment as they occupy the space. The team discussed the power of edge conditions: where city meets country, land meets water, and where ecosystems join to create inimitable and productive environments.