CGC has adopted environmental guidelines to inform our decisions during
the development of our new facility. Our goals are to:
Minimize energy consumption
Promote waste reduction and recycling
Use the least toxic materials available
Be sensitive to our rural surroundings
Minimally impact important wildlife habitat and natural communities
and
Provide healthy spaces inside buildings
The ways that these goals are implemented are detailed below.
Buildings and construction
We use recycled, salvaged and recyclable materials, where possible.
We use on-site resources (e.g. gravel, stone, and wood), where possible.
We avoid materials which pollute or damage the environment.
We orient and design buildings to take advantage of natural light,
passive and solar heat, and natural cooling.
We use vegetation to improve building comfort and minimize energy
consumption.
We use materials, techniques and mechanical systems that promote energy-efficiency.
Preserving the rural setting
We site buildings so they have a minimal impact on significant plant
and animal communities and do not obscure views.
We cluster buildings to retain the natural features of the land and
to maximize agricultural and recreational use of open space.
We minimize light pollution by not providing lighting in the cabins
and by employing downward-facing outdoor light fixtures.
Buildings that promote health
We promote indoor air quality and reduce the presence of bacteria
and fungi by using a building design that minimizes moisture problems
and provides adequate ventilation.
We use materials which are the least toxic in an indoor environment.
Education and community involvement
Students at local schools, in special job-training programs, and the
camp community assist in the design and construction of our buildings,
where possible.
These educational construction programs teach the benefits of environmentally
responsive design.
Interested members of the camp community are involved in all phases
of the design and decision-making process.
CGC is working with architect Bill Maclay to achieve these goals. Bill
has worked on the masterplans for the Yestermorrow Design Build School
and the Gesundheit Institute (Patch Adams’ project), as well as
plans for the Institute for Social Ecology. He was the sub-committee chair
for the Governor’s Energy Efficiency Building Code Task Force and
is a member of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. His many
published works include an article in The Encyclopedia of Energy Building
Design.
