Sustainability

Earth First Thinking

We see ourselves as stewards of a gift. Our home is in a beautiful corner of Wisconsin, in a community that has long prided itself on preserving and protecting its natural resources. So, respect for nature and a commitment to sustainability informed all our decision-making—and continues to guide our daily operations.

Gold level LEED Certification

All our buildings are Gold level LEED certified, meaning they are exceptionally healthy, high-performance, and energy efficient. Our vision for the Center is “big impact with a light touch,” or boldness that sits gently on the earth. We sited our buildings for minimal disruption to the existing topology and vegetation; then we set them atop columns to enhance air circulation and minimally disrupt the natural water cycle of our land.

Energy Management & Resource Conservation

We aim to be a “light touch” on the land here. All the elements we need—earth, air, fire, and water—are abundantly available if we think about how to operate in harmony with our environment and leverage the resources nature provides.

Building Systems

All building systems have been calibrated to moderate energy use, reducing associated environmental and economic harms.

Ventilation

All large interior gathering spaces have access to natural ventilation (i.e., windows that open).

Plumbing Fixtures

All plumbing fixtures (toilets, sinks, showers) are low flow to reduce water consumption.

Lighting

Lighting fixtures are “low demand.” Breathtaking skylights, called “shy lights,” bring ample natural light into each room, reducing the need for electrical lighting. (The amount of light coming in naturally exceeds building code requirements.)

Passive Heating and Cooling

Each building integrates solar self-shading strategies at building windows and doors to reduce solar heat gain inside the building. The roofs incorporate special reflective membranes that reflect the sun, thereby minimizing solar heat gain inside the building. Additionally, the window glazing is strategically shaded for solar gain in cooler months and solar shading in hotter months.

Non-invasive Stormwater Management

Stormwater management engineering included use of a subsurface (ADS) system to reduce size of above-ground stormwater bioswales. Next to the Council building, we installed a bioswale–or channel planted with vegetation–to manage stormwater runoff naturally.

Solar Conservation

The swoops on the building help to deflect sunlight during warmer months so buildings stay cooler inside, while allowing sun in during the winter months when the sun is lower in the sky.

Let us look back so that we may see ahead. Let us examine our lives so that we are respectful to our fellow humans and to nature.
– Potawatomi Tribe Prayer

Sustainable Design

Sustainable design asks us to think about more than the here and now. It asks us to also think about tomorrow and the impact of today’s decisions on the future of all living things. Happily, taking care of our “future self” is often good for our “today self,” too.

Building Positioning

We positioned our buildings (especially the Cabin) for minimal disruption to the existing topology and vegetation. Our aim was to disturb existing tree root systems as little as possible.

Air Circulation & Water Flow

We set our buildings atop columns to enhance air circulation and minimally disrupt the natural water cycle. Both the Lodge and the Council building hover slightly over the ground.

Cantilevering

The hovering feature of the Lodge and Council buildings allows for natural air flow around all sides of each building to promote passive cooling, while reducing the footprint of each building on the land itself.

Scalloped Design

The Cabin’s design was informed by the surrounding trees’ root systems, resulting in several “scallop” shapes.

Lodge Treehouse Terrace Green Roof

The Lodge has a green roof, which offsets carbon and retains water. This reduces stormwater runoff as well as solar heat gain.

Council Central Courtyard

In the Council, the central courtyard collects rainwater while simultaneously taking advantage of the prevailing wind traveling through the site for natural ventilation.

Minimizing Manmade Pollutants

No VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paints, flooring, sealers, and finishes were used to reduce toxic airborne pollutants indoors.

Natural & Locally Sourced Materials

In building the Center, we evoked the simple palette of the woods to blur the boundary between indoors and outdoors. That means we chose materials not only for their beauty and durability but for how they harmonize with our forest setting. We also wanted to be a model for environmentally sustainable architecture, which is why we sought local sources wherever possible to reduce our carbon footprint.

Krukowski Stone

We sourced building materials locally whenever possible. This includes the Krukowski stone used as countertops and in our terraces and walkways, which comes from a family-owned quarry in northern Wisconsin.

Terrazzo Floors

Floors in the Council and Lodge buildings reflect the natural beauty of locally sourced Wisconsin stones and agate.

Glulam

Many of the beams and supports in the buildings are made of glulam, an engineered wood product that’s sustainable and renewable and stronger than steel.

Repurposed White Oak.

Trees removed during construction found new life as wood flooring in the Lodge and Cabin and siding for the Shed. The wood flooring was created by a local lumberyard – a hyper-local sourcing of material.

Low-Carbon Materials

In construction, we used low-carbon concrete and wood framing in place of steel where possible.On the boardwalk to the lake, we installed concrete-free footings that reduce both our carbon and literal footprint on the land.

Grass Paper

Several of our rooms feature beautifully pressed paper wallcoverings made from natural grasses and organic materials, bringing the outdoors in while evoking a deep reverence for Mother Nature.

Tour the Campus

Designed by globally renowned architect Jeanne Gang and the award-winning team at Studio Gang, the campus of the Women’s Leadership Center is a truly unique space. See what sustainability-conscious architecture and construction look like in a beautiful setting overlooking Geneva Lake.

Book your tour now