Woodbury College

College Addition Fosters Expanded Learning Opportunities

Woodbury College (now the Montpelier branch of CCV, Community College of Vermont) was an accredited learning facility that prepared second career and adult students for paralegal, mediation, human services, prevention, advocacy, or conflict management careers.  The goals of the project were to provide an expanded program space and a more open presence to the public in an environmentally friendly, outward reaching addition.  The college also wanted to present a welcoming and inclusive environment for learning and productive interaction to occur.  

The design solution included a large training center, kitchen, information center/law library, offices, meeting rooms, outdoor spaces for community socialization, and support spaces.  The massing of the addition echoes the existing structure and local Vermont forms, yet is open to the outdoor campus, taking full advantage of its solar orientation.  The addition complements the existing structure, which was massive and inward focusing.  

Environmentally sustainable building materials, energy efficient fixtures, and indoor air quality were considered in all specifications.  Features include: daylighting in all spaces (including interior corridors); sunshades designed to control overheating in summer and provide heat gain in winter; super insulated panel system roof construction; heat recovery ventilation; super insulated wall systems utilizing rain screen design; sustainably harvested lumber; and high performance pultruded fiberglass windows.