Sustainability at Camp
There is no doubt that more and more camps are looking at ways to improve their environmentally friendliness. Canada Camps sits down with Paul Anderson, director of the Environmental Education Studio of Partners & Sirny, to discuss ecologically sustainable camp planning and design
Canada Camps: Why should camps care about ecological- ly sustainable buildings? Paul Anderson: Ecologically sustainable design is consistent with the mission of most camps, providing a model of how campers can live in balance with their environment. Ecologically sustainable design also often contributes to the economic sustainability of camps.
Certain sustainable strategies do not have any additional cost than conventional strategies if implemented early in the design process (i.e., building orientation, passive solar energy, natural ventilation and daylight harvesting). Additional first-costs associ- ated with many sustainable strategies are often more than offset by life-cycle cost savings (i.e., renewable energy sources).
CC: What advantages can sustainable design strategies pro- vide a camp? PA: These strategies provide an opportunity to advance the envi- ronmental stewardship aspect of a camp’s mission of living in bal- ance with our environment. By contributing to reduced opera- tional costs, and by interpreting sustainable design strategies, it helps advance the educational aspect of a camp’s mission.
CC: What is the most important sustainable design strategy camp owners/directors can adopt? PA: I believe it is most important to create an awareness of the environmental impact of buildings and an understanding of how that impact can be minimized through sustainable design. I believe one specific strategy that will greatly benefit the environment and ultimately benefit a camp’s operational budget is to invest in
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on-site electrical generation with wind turbines and/or solar pan- els. The camp’s carbon footprint and energy costs will be reduced.
CC: How would a camp owner/director go about making these ecologically sustainable changes? PA: A camp owner/director can work with an architect to develop a sustainability master plan by evaluating the existing camp, sub- sequently identifying appropriate sustainable strategies, quantify- ing associated costs and developing an implementation schedule. The architect can provide first-cost and life-cycle cost comparisons to aid the camp owner/director in making informed decisions. Energy savings can be modeled to quantify life-cycle payback of investments in higher performance mechanical and electrical sys- tems. Supplemental funding available through grants and rebates can be identified. A phased implementation to spread costs can also be developed.
CC: What are some of the initial steps a camp owner/direc- tor should look for around their camp when thinking about sustainability? What should they change first? PA: I believe a good start is to develop a comprehensive sustain- ability master plan tailored specifically for the camp. If funds are available, the camp can work with an architect experienced in sus- tainable design. The master plan would identify appropriate strategies, associated costs, an implementation schedule, and an interpretation plan. I believe reducing energy use has the largest environmental and economic impact. Also, creating and imple- menting interpretation can be inexpensive, but have considerable results due to the multiplier effect.
Photo: Onondaga Camp
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