Robbins Park Center for Environmental Education

Ambler, Pennsylvania

Living Building Challenge Learning Lab in an Ecological Preserve

Three big ideas:

Living Building,
Biophilic,
Student Collaboration

As part of a Green Building United volunteer initiative, Re:Vision has been collaborating with teachers at Upper Dublin High School to pilot the first Environmental Science Project-Based Learning Course built on the green building philosophy of the Living Building Challenge.

The project at the center of the course was a transformation of the Robbins Park Environmental Center, a 40 year old learning lab for the Upper Dublin School District, into a new Living Building.  Re:Vision’s volunteers worked with the class throughout two school years to steer their research, design, and presentations to project stakeholders and the larger community.

Picking up where the students left off, Re:Vision is now continuing the development of the actual design of the project to make it a reality.

 

Fast Facts

Engaged 40+ students in the PBL courses and 400+ students in the full Environmental Science curriculum

Over 50 green building professional volunteers engaged in the coursework

Design for Living Building Challenge Certification

Net-positive energy with roof-top and ground mounted solar panels

Rainwater harvesting with demonstration cistern

Sho-sugi ban (charred for preservation) regionally sourced oak siding

Low-embodied carbon materials throughout including wood timber structure

Wetland restoration with interpretive boardwalk trail

The building and site are designed as hands-on educational tools

“Our multiple years of work with Re:Vision and Green Building United has been an amazing collaboration! The benefits have been threefold as this innovative real-world learning model has been invaluable for the students, teachers and green building professionals. As an environmental educator, to have the pathway carved for a Living Building to educate others about nature, the ecosystem and sustainability is a dream come true. ”

– Lisa Fantini
Executive Director
Robbins Park Environmental Education Center

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