Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I I N O. V I I I A P R I L 1 9 , 2 0 2 1 30 R E A L E S TAT E / C O N S T R U C T I O N / E N G I N E E R I N G F O C U S from the people making it to workers on-site to students who will be staying there. ere's a long list of materials, including anything petroleum-based, that can't be used. Dumsch took up the challenge as a lifelong fan of environmental education and green construction. At the school's previous location elsewhere in Saco, he used recycled blue jean cotton insulation batts, locally sourced wood and natural paint without volatile organic com- pounds to build staff housing. He wanted to maximize that approach at its new River Bend Farm campus. Components to meet the challenge include 718 solar panels; a non-com- bustion, all electric-powered kitchen; and over 200,000 board feet of local Maine wood, including glue-laminated beams and I-trusses. To be certified, the project must generate 105% or more of its energy needs. Hancock Lumber, which is based in Casco and has 11 Maine lumberyards, supplied the framing materials. For example, the wall panels and trusses used for the project were manufactured in Maine at Hancock's facilities from wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, an international nonprofit that promotes responsible forest manage- ment. e designation indicates that the wood was harvested from forests that are responsibly managed, socially ben- eficial, environmentally conscious and economically viable. Sourcing hundreds of other materials involved in the project was complicated, says Adam Routhier, a project manager with Zachau Construction in Freeport, which handled construction. To start, "We didn't know what mate- rials we could use," he says. "Sometimes we thought we knew, but ended up going through lots of hurdles. e pan- demic didn't help because that caused supply chain issues." In some cases, options were limited. Galvanized roofing with non-toxic pro- tective coating took an extensive search. Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, used for plumbing, was on the forbidden "red list." "e end use isn't very toxic. e plumber just cuts it," says Routhier. "But at the manufacturing facility, it's incredibly polluting to local commu- nities. So we couldn't use PVC." Instead, the team swapped in cast iron piping — more expensive, not as readily available, harder to install, but environmentally sound. Sourcing normally takes a couple of weeks. In this case, it took months. An online color-coded spreadsheet helped all parties track each material's approval status. Helping with that process was Integrated Eco Strategies, a North Adams, Mass., consultant that helps clients achieve Living Building certification. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M PA G E 2 8 P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y Z A C H A U C O N S T R U C T I O N P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y Z A C H A U C O N S T R U C T I O N We said, 'We don't know how to do this.' They said, 'We don't either. Why do you think we call it a challenge?' — Jesse Thompson Kaplan Thompson Architects Zachau Construction President Jeff Zachau and Project Manager Adam Routhier say sourcing materials for the Ecology School was complicated. "It's called the Living Building Challenge. The key word is 'challenge,'" says Zachau. Ecology School buildings, including the roofs, were completely wrapped in this air barrier membrane, and all joints and penetrations were taped and sealed to provide a complete air seal.

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