Woods Hole Research Center's Gilman Ordway Campus participates in annual Green Building Open House

For immediate release

The Woods Hole Research Center's high-performance building with roof-mounted photovoltaic panels (photo credit - Chris Benton).

On Saturday, October 7th, the Woods Hole Research Center will again participate in the Green Buildings Open House. Tours of the Center’s Gilman Ordway Campus at 149 Woods Hole Road will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Completed in 2003, the building was recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) as one of the top ten green buildings in the U.S. in 2004 and earned a first place in the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association 2004 Green Building Awards. The Green Building Open House is sponsored by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association and is held in conjunction with the American Solar Energy Society’s National Solar Tour. These two overlapping events include private homes and a wide range of commercial and institutional buildings using a variety of forms of renewable energy and green building technologies and materials.

The Woods Hole Research Center is a scientific, policy, and educational institution. The Center's mission is to combat global warming and other forms of environmental degradation. In support of this mission, Center staff and trustees employed the firm of William McDonough+Partners to design a building that would serve as a model for 21st century construction in its use of energy, purification of wastewater, and use of environmentally safe materials. The Center operates its building without any onsite combustion of fossil fuels, the primary contributor to global warming, and aims eventually to supply all of its energy from renewable sources. The building also features recycled and FSC certified interior and exterior wood, double and triple glazed windows, and non-toxic paints and finishes. The Center was completed in March 2003.

The Woods Hole Research Center’s Gilman Ordway Campus is located at 149 Woods Hole Road, across from Treetops condominiums. It is approximately 1.25 miles from the village of Falmouth.