6. The Charles H. Townes Center for Science: Feature Story | Specific Initiatives | Sustainability in Action

Feature Story: A living building and laboratory

With the commitment to “build green,” Furman has seen the transformation of the James B. Duke Library and James C. Furman Hall. The renovation and addition to the science facilities that will begin this summer will result in not only a green building but a green learning experience as well.

John L. Plyler Hall has been the nexus of scientific study at Furman since 1958, housing the departments of chemistry, biology, physics, and earth and environmental sciences. Since that time, faculty and student involvement in the sciences has expanded dramatically. In 2004, Furman’s Board of Trustees authorized a $58 million expansion and renovation of the science facilities (including a $6 million maintenance endowment) in order to update the laboratory and classrooms with state-of-the-art equipment and technology. According to EES professor Brannon Andersen, this renovation will create a “living building and laboratory.”

As envisioned, the 113,405-square-foot science center will boast two new halls and a completely renovated Plyler Hall. Laboratory, classroom and office space will increase by almost 50 percent.

Some of the environmental aspects of the center will include:
Closed loop solar aquatic wastewater treatment system
Soil, plant and storm-water retention
Solar thermal panels for domestic hot water
Passive solar heating and thermal storage at greenhouse
Solar heating of HVAC water
Rainwater collection system
Maximization of day-lighting systems
High-performance energy systems/thermal efficiency
Monitoring systems will record energy and resource usage in the complex, enabling the study of sustainability features to be incorporated into the classroom.

“Sustainability can be hard to measure, so what we’re aiming for with Plyler Hall is to reduce the ecological footprint in a way that can be calculated on an ongoing basis,” notes Andersen.

“By studying the building’s energy use, sustainability processes and systems, and by examining the environmental impact of the Townes Center for Science, students will observe firsthand the benefits of conservation and sustainable practices.”
—Bill Ranson, Chair
Earth and Environmental Sciences

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Visit the Charles H. Townes Center for Science website for more indepth information >