Swarthmore College
Putting the Smallest Footprint Forward
Swarthmore College
Sustainability Framework Plan & Implementation
As an arboretum campus built on Quaker values, Swarthmore College has a long history of environmental sustainability and land stewardship. With the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035, the College selected Ballinger, Atelier Ten, and OLIN to develop an Environmental Sustainability Framework to organize and codify its sustainability targets.
Ballinger surveyed campus buildings and gathered utility data on the operation and efficiencies of existing steam and chilled water plants. Information on 61 buildings, comprising over a million square feet, was used to build a campus energy model to test efficiency measures and evaluate scenarios. The team analyzed the impact of new high-performance buildings and high-performance systems upgrades of existing buildings, as well as a variety of central utility strategies.
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Location
Swarthmore, PA
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The framework applies the findings and outlines standards, implementation plans, measurement protocols, and recommended steps to meet the College’s goals. Its guidelines address energy, landscape and stormwater management, water conservation, indoor environmental quality and materials, and operations and maintenance.
Singer Hall is the first building to meet the framework’s rigorous sustainability criteria, marking a significant step toward the College’s carbon-neutral future.
