Hampshire College
Amherst, MA
RW Kern Center
Amherst, Massachusetts
The RW Kern Center is designed to embody Hampshire College’s mission of fostering positive change in the world – and to meet the Living Building Challenge. Berkshire Design provided the engineering services for this unique and innovative net zero water project designed by Bruner Cott Architects. The recently completed building will provide 100% of the building’s drinking water from a rainwater capture system with on-site treatment. The project will treat its own wastewater through the use of composting toilets and on-site treatment and disposal of greywater. Stormwater is captured by a series of rain gardens sized to infiltrate virtually all runoff to groundwater. Berkshire Design has also worked extensively with faculty and staff at the College, which has integrated the Kern Center’s systems into classes teaching environmental engineering, microbiology and numerical modeling. Student project were ongoing before the building was even complete studying the impact and efficiency of these water systems.
Dakin / Merrill Courtyard
Amherst, Massachusetts
This internal campus courtyard created by the Dakin and Merrill dorm buildings as well as the adjacent dining hall was formally hidden from view and separated from the otherwise permeable campus perimeter. The recent addition of new outdoor gathering spaces, including a custom timber pavilion, were isolated from the larger courtyard by a retaining wall and 10’ tall fence. This project broke down the former barriers by creating a new seat wall from the former fence and patio space linking the timber pavilion with the rest of the courtyard. Pedestrian paths were also adjusted to provide safe accessible routes to the various destinations.
Hampshire College Master Planning
Amherst, Massachusetts
Berkshire Design has a long history of assisting Hampshire College with a variety of long-range planning and construction projects. From a new campus ring road to ground mounted solar projects, the creation of new outdoor social spaces to dorm accessibility improvements, we have played a vital role in the transformation of the Hampshire College campus since the 1980’s.