Pursuing living building challenge

Green Oaks Field Station

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

  • Classrooms
  • Laboratory

Project Story

Christner lead an integrated team to design a new field station at the Green Oaks Station, a long-standing learning, ecology and biology initiative of Knox College. The vision of the new field station is to “exhibit the best of generative stewardship, building living and learning in ways that engage, captivate and challenge all those who experience it.”

  • Size

    15,000 SF

  • Status

    Conceptual design completed 2016; Paused for fundraising

  • Sustainability Consultant

    Hellmuth + Bicknese

The Work

The 700-acre field station encompasses a restored tall grass prairie, old-growth and second-growth forest, streams, and a strip-pit lake. The building program includes a classroom/laboratory and community building and two residence halls. Designers analyzed three potential sites and selected one along the lake that engages both lake and prairie views, preserves old growth forest, and harnesses prevailing winds and solar energy.

The project will pursue the Living Building Challenge (3.0), along with potential LEED Platinum certification.

Services Provided