The construction of the Highland Center was guided by the AMC’s longstanding philosophy of promoting outdoor adventure and learning while sitting lightly on the land. The AMC held to a conservation ethic in its construction, which incorporates several design innovations to minimize environmental impacts and to help ensure environmentally sustainable operations.
- The AMC worked with leading architects, Carlone, Dick, LaFleche of Cambridge, Mass., and leading landscape architects, The Halvorson Company of Boston, which both specialize in creating environmentally sensitive buildings that fit their surroundings.
- Trees and other plantings on the site are native species and are incorporated as teaching tools in the center's natural history workshops.
- Sixty percent of the Highland Center’s triple-glazed windows face south to maximize solar energy.
- The earth-tone external features of the Highland Center at Crawford Notch helps the building complement the natural landscape.
Inside, recycled steel, provided by Isaacson Structural Steel of Berlin, N.H., serves as the structure's skeleton. A central biomass wood-burning boiler helps take the chill off crisp New Hampshire days, and a state-of-the-art ventilation system conserves heat while maintaining the highest standard of interior air quality. A variety of recycled-content materials are used throughout the Highland Center, along with environmentally sensitive carpets, glues, and paints. Low-flow and composting toilets are featured in our bathrooms.
"Green Tours" of the Highland Center are offered daily, and provide guests with an opportunity to learn more about construction techniques and sustainable operations used by AMC at this "state of the art" facility.
