Choate Rosemary Hall Dedicates Kohler Environmental Center

First residential environmental center in U.S. Secondary Education

WALLINGFORD, Conn., Oct. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Choate Rosemary Hall's new Kohler Environmental Center, the first such facility in U.S. secondary education, was dedicated on October 18.

Situated on 266 undeveloped acres north and east of the main Choate campus, the Center is a leading-edge environmental research, education center and residential facility.  It offers an interdisciplinary academic program in the physical and social sciences, in the humanities and arts, all with a focus on the environment. 

The facility is home for up to 20 Choate students and two faculty members, while also providing living quarters for a visiting researcher, graduate student, or scholar-in-residence. Energy and resource-efficient techniques and materials were used during the course of construction; the building, designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification, is environmentally responsible in its operations.

Herbert V. Kohler Jr., a member of the Choate Class of 1957 and former Chairman of the school's Board of Trustees, provided the idea and financial support for the new 31,800-square foot Center. "I found this land remarkably diverse in elevation, topography, amount of water, and the wildlife that inhabited it, and became determined to preserve it, hopefully in perpetuity," he says. "The land will now act as a laboratory for those who live there so they can speak with authority and lead responsibly on the subject of sustainability."

Mr. Kohler is also Chairman and CEO of Kohler Co., the Wisconsin-headquartered manufacturer of plumbing products, power systems and home interiors, and its five-star hotels will be host to the 2015 PGA Championship and 2020 Ryder Cup. The Kohler Environmental Center reflects the company's commitment to innovative and sustainable design, craftsmanship and technology.

Choate Rosemary Hall Headmaster Alex D. Curtis noted that the Center "is a physical manifestation of our proven commitment to the future of our planet. Indeed, a facility – a concept – such as this could only be built on a campus that already has demonstrated its commitment to sustainability and its passion for the Earth."

Among other features, the Center has high-efficiency Kohler plumbing products; a ground-mounted array of photovoltaic panels, and energy monitors in living spaces and common rooms to track energy usage and help teach conservation.

SOURCE Choate Rosemary Hall