Academy Center

Artist's rendition of the Academy Center to be completed in the Fall of 2009

The Academy will be a “green friendly” LEEDS certified building through the US Green building Council. This means our building has a significantly lower impact or footprint on our environment than buildings of the past. We’ve chosen materials and energy systems that aren’t as taxing on the planet, which will also result in significantly lower energy costs after completion. We’d all like to have lower utility bills these days.

All of the water on the Academy site will be consciously conserved in this climate of little water. We will collect all rainwater from our roofs into 55,000 gallons of underground storage.

As a result, we’ll be able to irrigate our xeric gardens from this collected water. Grey and black water from sinks and toilets will run through a triple filtration system to also water our gardens. We hope to have a number of low water cottonwood trees along the arroyo and spiraling towards the Center, creating a lush green oasis for visitors and neighbors. All of which tended by the water saving measures just described.

Model of the Academy Center (east façade).

For energy needs, we’ll derive our heating and cooling from 40 underground geothermal wells, some 5 inches in diameter and 250 feet deep. These geothermal wells will be located under our parking lot east of the Center. Geothermal heating and cooling provides a more consistent source of temperature, around 55 degrees throughout the year. We can heat or cool the buildings from this underground 55 degree source as opposed to above ground units which deal with extremely hot days in summer to freezing temperatures in the winter, with sharper temperature adjustments to make the inside of our Center comfortable. All this results in enormous energy savings.

Our infrastructure or the nerve system of the Academy will primarily be housed underground, to keep the land as pristine and quiet as possible. The exception will be 2 photovoltaic arrays for electricity. These arrays collect electricity for the Academy’s needs and will be tied into the New Mexico power grid, turning back the power usage clock. The arrays will be located in our parking lot. They will follow the sun during the day and provide a great learning model for everyone to monitor the amount of electricity we gather each day through visual control panels. Technology can be beautiful. These arrays are both sculptural and functional.

Sensitivity to the senses is important to the Academy and the care we’ve taken to conceal mechanicals and silence any noises from visitors and staff will create a nurturing environment for all to experience. Our best learning comes when we are enveloped in a nurturing environment.
 

Model of the Academy Center (west façade).

The main building or Center is bermed or built into the hillside. This is a great energy efficient way to build. The front south facing elevation is lower on the hill and consists of two stories. The northern most section of the Center, positioned higher on the hill is one story. We’ll have a central courtyard in which the Academy Center will wrap around 3 sides creating an open “u” to the west. In the western open “u” we will have a round meditation room for contemplation. Our bermed Center will also have a lower profile as a result of this way of building, helping it to blend into the landscape.

The lower level will house the Academy offices, Seton Gallery (displaying the Academy’s collection of Seton’s art and writings), the Seton research offices, and a conference room with state of the art communications available to stream live video feeds to and from the Academy.

Upstairs will house rooms for intimate gatherings of people of all disciplines interested in the Academy’s programs.

Academy Center's Site Map

Off to the east of the Center are the caretakers’ and guest quarters and an art studio where we’ll have collaborative programs for kids of all ages.

To the west of the Center are the ruins of Seton Castle. We plan to keep the predominant western walls and some of the south and north walls of the Castle. These walls will be reinforced and made structurally sound. The remaining walls will be taken away with the footprints clearly marked to notate its orientation. The walls we keep intact will be woven into a contemplative garden, like in ancient Rome or Athens, with seating and surrounded by xeric gardens. The Seton Meditative Gardens will pay tribute to the legacy of Earnest Thomson Seton and be a refuge for visitors and staff alike.

The grounds of the Academy which comprise some 86 acres will remain primarily untouched and in their natural state. Over the years, the Academy has cleared the land, with the help of hundreds of volunteers like you.

To date, we’ve cleared the land of over 300,00 tons of garbage. Wow! Keeping the land in its natural state pays tribute to the many peoples who have inhabited and tended this land over the millennia. We will be recreating a sacred honoring space and demonstrate how we can all live in harmony with the environment and with each other.