Building & GroundsGone Underground The new Education Center at the University of Maine at Farmington uses about 25 percent of the energy of a conventional building, thanks in part to superinsulated walls and some deep drilling. The building, designed by the Portland, Me., firm PDT Architects, relies on 40 geothermal wells, each 400 feet deep, that take advantage of the steady temperature underground to... Copyright © 2008 by The Chronicle of Higher Education Subscribe | About The Chronicle | Contact us | Terms of use | Privacy policy | Help |