The Chronicle of Higher Education

Building & Grounds

Gone 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...

To continue reading this premium article, you must have a Chronicle account AND a subscription or an online pass.

Subscriptions start at $40; Web passes for under $10.