2024

Vermont’s Greenest Building Award WinnerS

Retrofit/renovation award winning projects

Image courtesy of VIA and taken by Ryan Bent

2024 Vermont’s Greenest Building Award and High Performing Building Recognition | Yellow House Community Carriage Barn

The Yellow House Community Carriage Barn submitted by Vermont Integrated Architecture, is located on a corner lot in a walkable downtown neighborhood. This building is a part of a two-building residential facility for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) who need 24-hour support and supervision. The gut renovation of the property’s 1900s-era carriage barn, completed in 2022, expands the number of adults with ID/DD who can call this place home. Transforming this historic outbuilding at the property’s edge into a light-filled, accessible, net-zero energy living space acknowledges its historical community context and modernizes it for a new life as a desperately-needed resource in this century. A rooftop solar array assists in powering all-electric heating, cooling, and ventilation, thanks to a tight envelope and carbon-conscious insulation. A fully accessible main floor and patio ensure that all occupants can participate in community life.

Energy Use Intensity (EUI): 15.7 kBtu/sf/yr

Achieving 82% below small multi-family baseline (86 EUI)

Team included:

Image courtesy of Brian Just

Vermont Green Building Award | Ten Stones Decarbonization

This home, submitted by owner Brian Just, underwent significant efficiency renovations during a decade of ownership. The homeowner ensured that each alteration or replacement was done with intention to make the home less energy intensive and more conducive to healthy living. The result is a home whose HERS estimate has dropped from 76 to 55, air tightness improved by 18%, and is all-electric. All fossil fuel combustion equipment has been removed, with all lighting converted to LED and appliances upgraded to ENERGY STAR including a heat pump dryer and induction range. Almost all renovations use low-emitting and locally sourced finishes. The home has a retrofitted high efficiency ventilation system that provides fresh filtered air continuously to each bedroom, as well as an aire to water heat pump system as the primary heating.

Energy Use Intensity (EUI): 25.5 kBtu/sf/yr
Achieving 51% below Single Family residential baseline (52 EUI)

Team included:

  • Brian Just

  • Bill Chidsey from Solar Harvester

Image courtesy of VIA and taken by Corey Hendrickson

Vermont Green Building Award | National Bank of Middlebury, Brandon Branch

With the lease for its Brandon, Vermont branch set to expire, the National Bank of Middlebury sought a new location that could better highlight its commitment to the community while envisioning a new branch model. The bank decided to make use of a vacant storefront in the historic Photographer’s building in the heart of downtown Brandon. Submitted by Vermont Integrated Architecture, the adaptive reuse of this building solved persistent issues in the historic building like repeated flooding and the resulting moisture, as well as ensuring the structural integrity of the building, and transitioning the bulk of its energy use to electricity. The interior is full of color and light, offering a living room space and community meeting room available after hours to the larger community for gatherings and non-bank related programming.

Energy Use Intensity (EUI): 38.6 kBtu/sf/yr

Achieving 67% below Office baseline (115 EUI)

Team included:

Image courtesy of VIA and taken by Oliver Parini

Vermont Green Building Award | Mad River Glen Basebox Renovation

Facing a need to address various accessibility and life safety issues in its base area buildings, the shareholders at the iconic Mad River Glen ski area saw an opportunity to improve both the operational and energy efficiency of its Basebox Lodge. Submitted by Vermont Integrated Architecture, the nearly 15,000 square foot building is listed on the National Historic Registry, so care was taken to honor the building's historic character and charm.  Improvements included mechanical and structural upgrades, providing a new elevator and code compliant stairways, plumbing and electrical upgrades, and a complete renovation of the main and cafeteria kitchens and their supporting areas for improved safety and efficiency.

Energy Use Intensity (EUI): 104 kBtu/sf/yr

Achieving 64% below Food Service baseline (285 EUI)

Team included:

new construction award winning projects

Photo courtesy of ReArch Construction

2024 Vermont’s Greenest Building Award | OnLogic

Submitted by ReArch Construction, OnLogic’s new 140,000-square-foot headquarters is designed to support the company’s growth over the next decade. Home to over 150 employees, the building fosters collaboration with flexible workspaces, meeting rooms, lounges, a full-service cafe, warehouse, production line, and offices. The building was designed for optimal efficiency and to meet carbon-reduction goals. This building uses a 200-ton geothermal heating and cooling system that is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 1,574,308 pounds annually. In addition, there is a 500kW roof mountain solar array and 24 electric vehicle charing stations, and the building used foam glass gravel insulation from Glavel positioned beneath the building’s slab. Compared to conventional insulation, this material choice achieves an 87% reduction in carbon emissions.

Energy Use Intensity (EUI): 30.9 kBtu/sf/yr

Achieving 73% below Office baseline (115 EUI)

Team included:

2024 Vermont’s Greenest Building Award | Groundworks Drop In Center

Submitted by Duncan Wisnewski Architecture, Groundwork Drop in Center functions as a comprehensive resource center for unhoused individuals in the Brattleboro community. The ground floor has a variety of spaces to support the program, including a large open space for gathering and sleeping and smaller program rooms to provide services. The second floor houses Groundworks’ administrative offices, while the basement provides storage and mechanical spaces. Clients can use the kitchen, and full bathrooms are provided. This all electric building is an urban infill project, with easy access to amenities and public transit. Domestic hot water is provided with split heat-pump hot water heaters. Drain waiter heat recovery pre-heats the domestic hot water. Ultimately, this building was built for community needs but has a strong focus on high durability and efficient building materials with proven energy performance.

Energy Use Intensity (EUI): 46.1 kBtu/sf/yr

Achieving 58% below Lodging baseline (110 EUI)

Team included:

Image courtesy of VIA and taken by Ryan Bent

2024 Vermont Green Building Award | Plewak Residence

Submitted by Vermont Integrated Architecture - Maclay Studio, the Plewak Residence is a one level single family residence on a steeply sloping site. Guest rooms are located in the walk out basement. It was very important to the client, builder and architects that the home was resilient and fossil fuel-free. The home uses locally sourced wood for floors and timber frame elements and has low impact landscaping and onsite stormwater management. The home also has a PV array, an EV charging station and battery storage.

Energy Use Intensity (EUI): 23.1 kBtu/sf/yr

Achieving 56% below Single Family residential baseline

Team included:

Image courtesy of Lawson’s Finest Liquids

2024 Honorable Mention | Lawson’s Finest Liquids

Lawson's Finest Liquids brewery and taproom were built with sustainability and energy efficiency in mind. The two buildings include the Brewery and Taproom, both of which were constructed by local makers using Vermont-sourced wood and stone. The full time state of the art brewing facility for their signature craft beers utilizes energy efficient brewing equipment. The Taproom building encompasses a full service food and beverage hospitality experience along with retail space which is open to the public daily, serving as a memorable community gathering space for locals and visitors alike. This project includes a solar array large enough to offset the high efficiency brewing equipment and 16 electric vehicle chargers. In addition, there is an on-site state of the art wastewater treatment facility, treating high strength brewery wastewater and greywater from both the brewery and Taproom.

Team included: