Environmental Programs
at Merritt College
at Merritt College
The Environmental Center has been built entirely by students and faculty of the
Environmental Studies Program. Charles Ford (Emeritus), former director of the Merritt
College Environmental Program, and Merritt College students and volunteers began
construction on this building in September 1982. California Conservation Corps
members and professional crews also worked on the buildings and grounds. Students
in the Green Building and Ecological Design course continually add to the buildings.
Functions: Environmental Studies Program office space, classroom, laboratory and
Watershed Center.
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© Merritt College Environmental Program | 12500 Campus Drive, Oakland, CA 94619
Info at 510-434-3840 or email ecomerritt@peralta.edu.
Info at 510-434-3840 or email ecomerritt@peralta.edu.
The center was designed to
demonstrate ways to improve the
sustainability of existing suburban
homes. Various features of ecological
design include heavy insulation and
weatherizing; energy-saving
replacement windows; high-efficiency
lighting and space heating; "passive"
solar heating; solar electric
photovoltaic panels that power some
office equipment; "active" and
"passive" solar water heaters; recycled
and sustainably-harvested materials
such as floor tiles, carpet, cabinetry,
countertops, decking, fencing,
benches, and door, window, and
baseboard trim; and reycled office furniture. The grounds around the center offer the
opportunity for on-going experiments in edible landscaping, drought-resistant
planting, hot composting and basic composting, and fire and native vegetation
management. The "Resourceful Showcase," donated by the Alameda County Waste
Management Authority, arrived at the Environmental Center in summer of 2004 and
demonstrates current green and ecologically-sustainable building materials.
The Environmental Center was profiled in the San Francisco Chronicle on January
17, 2004. Visit the San Francisco Chronicle's archives online to view the article
"Self-Reliance at Home" by Eve Kushner. The Oakland Tribune also ran an article
featuring the Environmental Center on March 20, 2005, titled "Green House: Builders
Raise the Roof on Eco-Friendly Homes." Visit the Oakland Tribune archives at
www.insidebayarea.com/businessnews for the article.
opportunity for on-going experiments in edible landscaping, drought-resistant
planting, hot composting and basic composting, and fire and native vegetation
management. The "Resourceful Showcase," donated by the Alameda County Waste
Management Authority, arrived at the Environmental Center in summer of 2004 and
demonstrates current green and ecologically-sustainable building materials.
The Environmental Center was profiled in the San Francisco Chronicle on January
17, 2004. Visit the San Francisco Chronicle's archives online to view the article
"Self-Reliance at Home" by Eve Kushner. The Oakland Tribune also ran an article
featuring the Environmental Center on March 20, 2005, titled "Green House: Builders
Raise the Roof on Eco-Friendly Homes." Visit the Oakland Tribune archives at
www.insidebayarea.com/businessnews for the article.
The Environmental Center and Self-Reliant House
| Environmental Management and Technology at Merritt College in Oakland, California |