Posted at: 07/11/2012 6:35 PM
Updated at: 07/11/2012 6:45 PM
By: Gordon Severson
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Email to a FriendWSU House Going Green
(ABC 6 News) -- Over the past few years, Winona State University has established itself as one of the greenest and most sustainable colleges in the country.
On Wednesday, construction crews were making some last minute additions to their most crowning achievement. Going to college is all about spending some green in order to learn a thing or two.
Hoping that one day, you'll make some green. In the meantime, 11 students at Winona State are going green as well.
"It truly represents the students being able to live what they learn," Interim President Connie Gores says.
Turning an old 19th century building into a home of the future.
The theme house is fully loaded with sustainable features like bricks on the driveway that collect rain water preventing harmful runoff that will get into the river. Not to mention new light bulbs and energy efficient appliances.
"We tried to make it as green as possible," Gores says.
However, the most noticeable feature is the garden on the roof.
"We're breaking some new ground with how we're approaching sustainability. This is taking it to the next level," Gores explains.
Instead using traditional roofing tiles, the theme house features a living green roof. That's not only cheaper and better for the environment, it also helps the house to be more efficient. Throw in a few solar panels and you've got arguably the greenest roof in the area.
"It truly lives our mission which is about a community of learners improving our world. I think this truly is the embodiment of that," Gores says.
Construction on the theme house should be finished by the end of this month. Students will move in this September.
