Sustainable Classroom

Situated behind the Susan Colgate Cleveland Library, you can find Colby-Sawyer’s free-standing sustainable classroom. This 36’ x 40’ timber frame structure, better known as the "Sunshack," was designed and built by students and remains one of the most compelling and visible examples of the college’s effort to cultivate a culture of environmental awareness and action.

All Natural

The Sunshack is the first commercial building in New Hampshire to integrate a straw-bale wall system. Each wall consists of 12-18 inches of straw-clay mixture, or dense-packed cellulose, which provide the building with sustainable insulation in all seasons.

Passive Solar

Eleven low-emissivity (low-E) windows set in a convex south-facing wall allow the indoor temperature to change naturally. Heat is trapped in the concrete floor and cob benches during the day, keeping the room cool, then released at night to make the room warm. These same windows illuminate the room without artificial light use during the day.

Locally Sourced

The building features a timber frame structure made from eastern white pine, yellow birch and black cherry trees, all native to New London and Andover. Choosing locally sourced materials reduces carbon emissions and contributes to a vibrant economy. Lumber scraps were reused in the garden or burned in Sue’s Sugar House to avoid landfills.

Student-Driven

The Sunshack was designed and built by more than 100 Colby-Sawyer students through sustainability and design-build courses led by former professors Steven Whitman and Bryan Felice. Students managed every stage of the project — from design and construction planning to interior finishing and permitting — gaining hands-on experience in sustainable building practices. Supported by the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP), retired Professor Leon-C. Malan, former Director of Sustainability & Innovation Jennifer White '90 and countless local residents, the Sunshack remains a lasting symbol of Colby-Sawyer’s commitment to sustainability, experiential learning and community collaboration. Students involved in the project reported that participating in the creation of an innovative and sustainable structure that is used by the entire campus was a meaningful educational experience.