The Trustees of Reservations Opens Doors to New Doyle Conservation Center

"Green" Building Embodies Spirit of Environmental Preservation

Leominster, Mass. - June 30, 2004 - The Trustees of Reservations, pioneer of the land conservation movement, today opened the doors of its new Doyle Conservation Center in Leominster, a "green" building designed and built to have minimal environmental impact. From the use of recycled and renewable construction materials to its solar panels and geothermal wells installed for heating and energy needs, the Doyle Conservation Center embodies the spirit of environmental conservation that defines The Trustees of Reservations.

The $5 million Doyle Conservation Center is the largest capital project The Trustees of Reservations has undertaken in its 113-year history. Constructed with mostly recycled and renewable products, the 18,000 square-foot building was designed to be resource efficient. Funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, roof-mounted photovoltaic panels provide 25% of the building's electricity, and two 1,500 foot geothermal wells provide heating and cooling without the use of on-site fossil fuels. Indoor air quality is assured with an intelligent ventilation system and operable windows. Water is conserved by eliminating the need for landscape irrigation and the use of composting toilets, which use 80% less water than conventional toilets.

"We could not be more proud of the new Doyle Conservation Center, one of the few buildings constructed by The Trustees and among the first green buildings in Massachusetts," said Andrew Kendall, executive director of The Trustees of Reservations. "Because this building will be used both as an office for The Trustees as well as a resource for conservationists around the state, it was imperative we lead by example and build in an environmentally responsible manner."

The Doyle Conservation Center was designed by HKT Architects of Somerville, specialists in mission-driven green and preservation design, with landscaping provided by Hines Wasser & Associates, a company known for its strong ecological designs for native managed landscapes.

The building has been registered for gold certification with the U.S. Green Building Council through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

Some of the building's recycled and renewable materials include: desks and shelves made from sunflower hulls; cork floors; bamboo floors; recycled fabrics used in carpeting and acoustic tiles; sink counters made of "zero-waste" material; and exterior siding formed from the byproducts of hardwood timber harvesting and furniture manufacturing.

The Doyle Conservation Center will host the Putnam Conservation Institute, a year-old initiative by the Trustees of Reservations with the goal of increasing the capacity of the conservation community to better protect, care for and interpret the natural and cultural resources of Massachusetts. The Putnam Conservation Institute will use the building's 150-person bamboo-floored meeting space to train conservationists in the skills of land conservation, watershed protection, land use planning, historic preservation, nonprofit management, and more. The Putnam Conservation Institute will also host programs for the local community, such as "Rethinking the American Lawn," a lecture on lawn care scheduled to take place in July.

The Doyle Conservation Center will also be home to The Trustees of Reservations employees working in the areas of land conservation, ecology, resource protection and planning, environmental education, and mapping.

"When designing this building, we wanted to create a space that would reflect the ethics of the people who will work there every day," said Jim Younger, director of structural resources for the Trustees of Reservations. "It only made sense to create a green building-a structure that has the least impact and most positive effect on the surrounding environment."

Starting today, the Doyle Conservation Center will be open for public viewing during normal business hours: Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.

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