LBCC Goes Green

LBCC Goes Green
By John Rosales



LBCC is continuing to show its commitment to sustainability and green technology as solar panels were recently added to what will eventually be a gazebo in the courtyard. This is just one of the many advancements made in the past couple of years that illustrates the schools' sustainability practices. The school has shown increasing interest in showing the community and the students their dedication to becoming a sustainable campus. Renovations to many of the buildings are still underway and interested students can see how the school is creating new and exciting projects that revolve around the idea of sustainability.

Madrone Hall is the newest building addition to the campus and its design and construction reflect this dedication to sustainability. A portion of the building itself was constructed from recycled material; the building reused about 10 percent of building waste in order to help in its construction. The building also sports a set of solar paneled windows facing the south side of the school. These windows produce around nine kilowatt hours of energy, which, in comparison to the 19,000 kilowatt hours the school consumes, doesn’t seem to be a very effective addition.However, through efforts like these the school hopes to teach the ability to use alternative energy in a functional way.

Madrone Hall has also incorporated a water cistern that is used to collect rainwater from the roof. The water travels down a water slough and is filtered and dispersed into the ground. This helps to relieve the amount of water that goes into the sewer drains. This not only helps the school but will also help the community.

Daniel Lara, dean of science and technology at LBCC expressed what the school hoped to accomplish by focusing so largely on sustainability in their projects: “It allows the college to communicate to the external community what went into its building practices…it’s a way for the college to say these are the values we hold.”


Construction is still being completed on the White Oak Hall building, which is located next to Madrone Hall and was formerly the home of the science and technology program. One of the more creative and interesting features of this newly remodeled building will be the green roof. This donor funded project will literally be a garden on top of the roof. Four inches of soil will cover the roof and will be home to over 7500 different plant species. It will also help to reduce thermal energy costs by creating a natural insulation for the roof. The roof will be used as a teaching tool for some of the classes on campus and should be completed sometime around April.

There has also been the construction of a solar gazebo in the courtyard that will not only provide much needed shade for students but will also help to offset power consumption for the school. These projects also help the school gain certification in the LEED program, a program designed to acknowledge efforts towards sustainability in new buildings.


The mechatronic and industrial maintenance program is also working on some green projects and is working to create students that can bring renewable energy to the community.

Denis Green, the program advisor explained why thinking about sustainability is so important: “The cleanest, cheapest energy is the energy you save…people think if I change a light bulb it wont make any difference, but if you and a hundred people change a light bulb it makes a difference.”


It is not just the leadership that is working towards a greener campus but students are also getting involved by creating projects around the school. The Green Club, which was formerly called the Students for Sustainability Club, is a student run organization that is hoping to help educate the students and local community about the benefits of a greener life.

Advisor to the Green Club, Lori Fluge-Brunker talked about what the Green Club was hoping to accomplish on campus: “We’re hoping to be really educational…bringing that element of education to the campus community.“

One of the clubs' future projects is an Earth Day fair which the members are hoping will educate students on the need for green living. Hopes are that the fair will also have a few TED speakers that will come and talk about sustainability. TED is an online website dedicated to spreading innovative ideas. The club is currently seeking more students to help with the oncoming projects, so if you’re interested they urge you to visit their website and become involved.

At a glance:
The LBCC Green Club Advisor Lori Fluge-Bunker phone number: 541-917-4411, email:flugebl@linnbenton.edu
Justin Hussey, Green Club student rep. email: obvious.ingenuity@gmail.com
White Oak Hall, Madrone Hall
Mechatronic and Industrial maintenance program
LBCC sustainability