Wister Education Center & Greenhouse

LOCATED IN THE SCOTT ARBORETUM of Swarthmore College, the Wister Education Center and Greenhouse serves the staff and volunteers of the Arboretum, promotes their mission “for the encouragement of horticulture in its broadest sense,” and supports the accredited and nationally-renowned Arboretum in maintaining Swarthmore College’s reputation of being, “the most beautiful college campus in America.” A LEED Gold certified facility, the 5,200 SF building includes a 2,400 SF greenhouse with individual chambers dedicated to plant propagation, overwintering, cultivation and display; a 600 SF workroom for potting, soil mixing and other greenhouse-related activities; and 2,800 SF for classroom, reception, kitchen, office and service space. The building achieves its intended goals by providing a state-of-art greenhouse, durable and flexible work areas, and beautiful, well-planned public spaces, while at the same time promoting the critical architectural design relationships of building to site, greenhouse to sunlight, inside to outside, and architecture to landscape.

LEED GOLD certified AND 2009 “Green Building of America” Real Estate & Construction Review – Northeast Green Success Stories