RHINEBECK, NY – Omega Institute has announced that construction of their Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL) is underway.
Omega has laid the foundation for the building and will soon begin erecting its steel frame and flooring. Once completed, the OCSL is expected to be the first certified “Living Building” in the United States; in addition to being self-sustaining in terms of water and energy usage, the OCSL will raise the bar in green building by using the best and most comprehensive sustainable building practices available today.
The cutting edge technology of the OCSL brings together wastewater recycling, clean energy, green architecture, and other sustainability elements that can be replicated locally and globally. The center will also include a classroom and laboratory for educational programs.
At the Greenbuild 2007 conference the OCSL was the sole winner of the Living Building Challenge™ “On the Boards Award” for a building in the design process which achieves the highest level of environmental performance. The OCSL was also a topic of panel discussion at the Greenbuild 2008 conference.
The OCSL groundbreaking ceremony was attended by more than 100 leaders from key environmental groups in New York State, local and state governmental officials, the project’s architectural and engineering teams, and influential opinion leaders from the New York City metropolitan area.
The core of the center will be a 4,500-square-foot greenhouse containing a water filtration system called the Eco Machine™. This living system will use plants, bacteria, algae, snails, and fungi to recycle Omega’s wastewater (approximately 5 million gallons per year) into clean water that will restore the aquifer under Omega’s property. Dr. John Todd, winner of the 2008 Buckminster Fuller Challenge award, and his son Jonathan, are the founders of John Todd Ecological Design, Inc. – responsible for the design of the Eco Machine™.
A $2.8 million capital campaign is underway to fund the creation of the OCSL. Omega has already received $100,000 from the Dutchess County Industrial Development Authority, among generous donations from others. Omega is seeking $1.7 million to reach their goal.
Omega Center for Sustainable Living
www.eOmega.com
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