Philip Merrill Environmental Center

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Headquarters

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation promotes the protection and restoration of North America’s largest estuary.

Located on the Bay, its new 32,000-square-foot headquarters, the Philip Merrill Environmental Center, is the first LEED Platinum-Certified building. It uses photovoltaics, solar hot water, rainwater collection, natural lighting/ventilation, and ground-source heating/cooling, thereby reducing energy demand by 40% compared with conventional office buildings.

Water conservation technologies, including waterless Clivus composting toilets, result in water use of only 80 gallons per day. The Center’s use of Clivus systems also demonstrates a key technology for eliminating nitrogen pollution of water resources. The end products from the Clivus systems can be used to fertilize the surrounding landscape.