Sustainability Speakers Series: UW-River Falls hosts Green Building Panel

As part of the Sustainability Speakers Series, a collaborative effort between the UW–River Falls Sustainability Office, Hope for Earth and the River Falls Public Library, UW–River Falls hosted a Green Building panel Nov. 12 in North Hall.

The panel featured Jen Vieth of the Carpenter Nature Center, Krisi Smith of Habitat for Humanity and Alison Page of Western Wisconsin Health. The three speakers discussed their experiences with designing, financing and working in green buildings. The event was free and open to the public.

Mike Noreen, part of the buildings and sustainable development action team with Hope for Earth, also attended. Noreen has played a key role in River Falls’ renewable energy and energy-efficiency initiatives, helping lead local efforts to reduce energy use and expand sustainable practices.

Vieth reflected on the goals of building an environmentally responsible facility that both protected and served the land. Originally based on the Minnesota campus, she helped establish the newer Hudson location with a central goal: constructing a building that preserved surrounding habitats while remaining durable and efficient.

“Sustainable means we won’t have to fix it for at least 50 years,” Veith said.

The Wisconsin campus incorporates several eco-focused design choices. Its front door was repurposed from an old sliding door found on the property. The building uses Wisconsin-made bird-safe glass to prevent window collisions and features downward-facing lighting to minimize light pollution and protect nocturnal wildlife.

Smith spoke on behalf of Habitat for Humanity, where she works directly with the Eco Village River Falls project. The organization promotes equitable access to sustainable housing, helping lower-income families secure affordable, eco-friendly homes.

When the partnership began in 2008, the site consisted of five acres of undeveloped land. Today, it has grown into a community of 14 single-family homes and two twin homes.

Drawing inspiration from ancient Greek architecture, Smith noted that homes were traditionally built around the sun. This idea shaped Eco Village’s design. Features such as solar panels, heated floors and steel roofing contribute to the neighborhood’s long-term energy efficiency.

Page, former CEO of Western Wisconsin Health from 2009 to 2022, played a key role in opening the new facility in Baldwin in 2016. She emphasized the importance of building an environmentally responsible hospital and explained how sustainability directly supports community health.

Page opened with statistics: 8.5% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States come from hospitals, while globally hospitals account for 25%. Addressing why hospitals should prioritize eco-friendly initiatives, Page said, “[Doctors] know how to be healthy — they know it’s right. The healthy thing to do is the easy thing to do.”

Because sustainability reduces operational costs, the hospital’s energy expenses are more predictable. The building uses 100% LED lighting, incorporates natural light in every space, features low-flow toilets, eliminates unhealthy food options and grows vegetables on site. The hospital also offers a community garden behind the facility and provides education on sustainable lifestyle practices for community members.

Page noted that when hiring, the hospital prioritizes employees who value health and wellness and ensures staff understand its environmental goals and practices.

The Baldwin hospital is the second in Wisconsin to be built with a geothermal heating and cooling system.

“We want to create a model of what real healthcare should look like,” Page said.

The panel was asked about pushback from construction crews and the community. Vieth identified two major challenges: bird-safe windows and parking. Bird-safe glass is costly, and construction workers worried the patterned surface would be distracting from inside the building. A compromise was reached: the patterned glass would only be installed on the building’s second floor.

Parking was another concern. Community members questioned whether the site had enough space, since the campus includes only a small paved lot. Vieth explained that for larger events, staff mow additional parking areas in the surrounding field.

Page noted that her biggest challenge came from engineers who appeared to support sustainability goals but repeatedly proposed cheaper alternatives that did not meet the hospital’s environmental standards. She also described the difficulty of obtaining certification for the hospital’s LED lighting system, a process that required extensive documentation and compliance checks.

Overall, the panel highlighted that sustainable building is about more than energy efficiency. It is about creating healthier, more resilient communities. From eco-conscious hospitals to green neighborhoods, the speakers emphasized that thoughtful design, collaboration and persistence can leave a lasting impact on both people and the planet, setting a standard for future projects in Wisconsin and beyond.

The Green Building panel was one of several events hosted in connection with the ongoing Sustainability Speakers Series. The series has brought a wide range of speakers to campus and the community, addressing topics such as climate change, sustainable landscaping, mental health impacts of environmental change and responsible investing. Organizers say the series will continue to highlight sustainability’s role across health, housing, energy and the environment.