Commons Renovation Project Receives Vermont’s Going Green Building Award
The Commons Renovation Project, completed in Fall 2019, has been awarded a Vermont’s Greenest Building Award.
The ninth annual Vermont’s Greenest Building Awards, hosted by the Vermont Green Building Network (VGBN), recognized seven projects and design/build teams. The projects received awards for achieving the highest standard of demonstrated building energy performance for commercial and residential buildings and documentation of green building strategies including health, transportation, water and affordability. “It is wonderful to recognize the innovation, talent and creativity building professionals are bringing to their projects,” said Jenna Antonino DiMare, VGBN Executive Director. “I am proud of the outstanding work our Vermont green building community is doing to push the market towards more sustainable building practices.”
“We are thrilled that Commons has been recognized by the Vermont Green Building Network for its sustainable design approach,” said Andrew Schlatter, Vice President of Facilities Management and Planning at Bennington. “Incorporating ambitious environmental performance seamlessly into this beloved and historic structure was a primary goal of this project, and the design achieves this in ways that most users will never realize—which was the point. This result was only possible through endless creative problem solving and intensive coordination between architects, engineers, and contractors.”
The 2020 winners were celebrated during the Vermont Green Building Celebration webinar event hosted by VGBN on March 31, 2021, featuring keynote speaker Congressman Peter Welch. Winning buildings were showcased as inspirational, model green buildings that create a new standard for environmentally responsible building in Vermont.
The Commons Renovation Project, an 18-month comprehensive restoration of this iconic building, was completed in Fall 2019, and is the largest renovation project in the College’s history. The Commons exemplifies, through its design, program, legacy, and name, the core ambitions and mission of a Bennington education. The renovation reinforces the Commons’ character and history while envisioning how it can continue to serve the College for decades to come.