Beyond its urban campus, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) owns 20,000 acres of forestry land, the largest land holdings of any college in the world.  ESF has the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2015.  This “Energy Plus”, LEED Platinum project will get it half way there.  The design incorporates a cogeneration power plant fueled by wood pellets for heating, biodiesel fired micro-turbines and roof-top photovoltaic panels for generating electricity.  The plant  provides 60% of the campus’s heating needs plus 20% of its peak electrical demand.

ESF’s new Gateway Center is the “front door” to the campus and functions as a cross-campus connector.  The design expresses the school’s commitment to environmental research and technologies. As the new “center of gravity” on campus, it houses much needed meeting and gathering space.  The site incorporates several strategies for storm water retention, including rain gardens, retention chambers, and an intensive green roof.  The building also incorporates a natural history display for the Teddy Roosevelt Wildlife Collection.

Winner of the 2014 American Institute of Architects COTE award as one of the top ten sustainable designs in the United States.