In many cases, a construction or renovation project begins its commitment to renewal and efficiency with ‘new construction.” Philips Academy has consciously and thoughtfully pushed the reuse and renewal process a step further by including the reuse of materials from the old building into other projects around campus and the region. 

Boards from an old hockey arena- now a temporary dining hall- found a new life in Rumney, NH.

“… nearly 98 percent of the components – not just the dasher boards and the plexiglass, but cabinets, countertops, chairs, and tables – have either been recycled in communities such as Rumney or reused as part of the work.” (First, do not waste’ could be motto for Phillips renovation, Boston Globe)

As John Rogers, the academy’s dean of studies and the school’s sustainability adviser told the Globe:

“It’s not just about the final product. It’s about the process, including what happens to the waste materials, the conditions that the workers and the surrounding community are exposed to, and all that kind of stuff that goes into new construction.” (Boston Globe)

PA is also striving to earn LEED certification- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, by the US Green Building Council- for the new kitchen and dining hall. Quite a task in light of the fact that kitchens a notoriously inefficient energy consumers.