July 1st, 2010

Greenest Building in America?

Every six months or so SDialogue comes together for a retreat where we can brainstorm our efforts for the next six months. On June 18th, 2010 we met up at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY to discuss our plans for the second half of 2010. It was a wonderful experience and a first time visit for both Beth Bengtson and me, our new intern! The Omega Institute is a 195 acre campus that promotes holistic living through workshops, conferences, and retreats.

During our time at Omega we were able to visit the Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL) which won the 2007 “On the Boards” award for the ‘Best Green Design in America.’ It is expected to be certified Leed Platinum, and is on track to become the first building in America to meet all six requirements for the “Living Building Challenge”.

The OCSL is a living building is a fully sustainable building which brings together waste water, recycling, green energy, and green architecture to create a ‘waste transformation plant’. The OCSL generates all of the energy it needs onsite through photovoltaic rays and geothermal collection which allows the site to collect and purifies all of the Omega Institutes’ waste water (more than 5 million gallons annually) without the use of any toxins or non-sustainable energy sources.

This eco-machine mimics the natural purification process of water; starting with constructed wetlands that utilize the root systems to begin the purification process. The water then moves into two lagoons which mimic the ecosystems of a stream, microorganisms digest and break down the waste water and converting it to nutrition and energy. When the water ends its cycle it is clean enough to sustain life, demonstrated by the fish and turtles which live within it.
The Omega Institute is an example of how sustainability can be an educational lifestyle and an example how establishments can ‘Talk to walk sustainably’.

If you want more info about Omega’s conferences, retreats, or amenities check out their website at http://www.eomega.org and tell them SDialogue referred you!