Case Study: Bagley Classroom, Duluth, Minnesota

By Alanna Malone

Students at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) are fortunate to have access to Bagley Nature Area, a 55-acre parcel of land on the northwest portion of the campus that includes a pond, forest, ski and hiking trails, and open space. But while conducting research, observing wildlife, or absorbing the scenery, the students had no home base. To remedy this dilemma, the university commissioned local firm Salmela Architect to design a small LEED Platinum-certified classroom space on an existing clearing (an unused volleyball court). It was the team who decided to up the ante and simultaneously try for Passive House certification and net-zero energy. “We went for everything,” says David Salmela, FAIA. “Energy-oriented buildings tend to be driven by the technology rather than the architecture. What we wanted to do was combine all of those things together.”