Buildings & Grounds

Champlain College sits on 27 acres with a collection of both academic and residential buildings alongside a good amount of green space. There is much that goes into the care and maintenance of it all!

Facilities & Operations

Our Facilities and Operations teams work closely together to manage our buildings and grounds sustainably. Methods of doing so include:

Building rehab and renovations, including sealing building envelopes, upgrading windows, using Energy efficient HVAC systems, and adding other features which have produced average energy savings around 50% – including Bader Hall (2012) and Whiting Hall (2014)
Composting lawn and garden debris
Sending all woody wastes to the McNeil electricity generating plant for fuel

Green Globes Building Certification

Green Globes is a science-based, three-in-one building rating system that evaluates the environmental sustainability, health & wellness, and resilience of commercial buildings and portfolios.

CCM earned 3 Green Globes and uses 47% less energy than the national average for a building of its type
194 St. Paul Street earned 2 Green Globes and has a 119.3KW DC solar array

A US Green Building council platinum award

LEED Certified Buildings

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the world’s most widely used green building rating system. Certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement. Our LEED Certified buildings:

Juniper, Butler, and Valcour Halls achieved LEED Gold status and use geothermal heating/cooling systems
Perry Hall has a LEED Platinum certification, the highest USGBC green certification obtainable, and uses a geothermal heating/cooling system
Aiken Hall is a LEED Gold Certified building

A zoomed out picture of a side of Champlain College's Perry Hall, with students hanging out at the building and sitting on the grass in front of it.

BLUE Certification

The stormwater retention system at Perry Hall achieved BLUE Certification in May 2018 for being a watershed friendly building, making it the first non-residential building to be awarded this certification. Perry Hall features a green roof, pollinator garden, bioswale, and permeable walkway which all help to catch rain and prevent runoff into Lake Champlain.

Did you know?

McDonald Hall is our first fossil fuel free building on campus! The hall was fully renovated in 2022, linking the building to our geothermal heating and cooling system as well as making many efficiency improvements.

Get Involved in Campus Sustainability

Community Garden

Founded in 2011, the community garden is located beside Rowell Annex and has 27 plots available for individual use by Champlain College community members. Use of the 4′ x 8′ plots costs $20 for faculty/staff, $10 for students, and there is no cost if all produce is donated to the Community Food Shelf.

Registration is closed for the 2024 season! Priority registrations are due by April 15 for the growing season. Plots are registered on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Want to learn more about gardening or attend other gardening-related events? Check out this calendar, brought to you by the Vermont Community Garden Network.
Register for a Gardening Plot

Greening Your Workplace

The Office of Sustainability and the student Eco-Reps designed the Green Office Certification to recognize Champlain employees’ efforts in creating a more environmentally friendly work space. Interested in making your workplace practices more environmentally friendly? Learn how!
Green Workplace Certification
Green Room Certification Program

Champlain College Eco-Reps have designed the Green Room Certification to give recognition to students living a sustainable lifestyle on campus.
Earn a Green Room Certification
Used Furniture

Employees in need of office furniture can check the Facilities Warehouse at Sears Lan. Kate Cronin has a good handle on what furniture is available, so the first step, if you need something is to email Kate.