MacLachlan Cornelius & Filoni: Master Planning a Carbon-Neutral Antioch College

When Antioch College’s founder Horace Mann addressed the first graduating class in 1859, he left them with a challenge that would define the institution for generations: “Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.”

That spirit of purpose runs deep at Antioch. So when low enrollment forced the progressive Ohio college to lose accreditation and close in 2008, a quiet shutdown was never really on the table. By 2011, a new president, Mark Roosevelt, was laying the groundwork for something bolder, a reopening built around a commitment to becoming a fully carbon-neutral campus.

To make it happen, Roosevelt turned to MacLachlan Cornelius & Filoni Inc. (MCF), a Pittsburgh-based architecture firm with 128 years of experience and a strong track record in higher education master planning. Principal Alan Hohlfelder knew from the start this project was unlike any other.

“Antioch has a long history in the area, so it was important to maintain their legacy, but there was also the fact that they are doing it in this sustainable fashion and really acting as an example of how to live sustainably in the future,” he says. “That combination was really exciting to us.”

A Race Against the Clock

MCF’s master plan was ambitious: sweeping renovations to historic buildings, installation of a five-acre solar array, and the infrastructure needed to support both an immediate reopening and long-term growth. But with students arriving for the 2012–2013 academic year, the team had little time to spare.

Years of vacancy had taken a toll. Buildings sat unheated, mold had set in, and the central mechanical plant had been shut down entirely. The first priority was identifying which residence halls could be made ready in time.

The answer was North Hall, a five-story brick building dating back to 1853, and one with, as Hohlfelder put it, “good bones.”

MCF overhauled the living spaces and bathrooms, upgraded insulation, the building envelope, and the roof, and designed a geothermal heating and cooling system paired with rooftop solar panels on the south-facing side. To reduce energy loads further, incoming students agreed not to bring personal refrigerators or microwaves, a small but meaningful concession in line with the college’s values.

The team also redesigned the dining kitchen inside North Hall to reflect Antioch’s food philosophy. “The dining operation has always been based on simple, healthy, locally grown food choices,” Hohlfelder explains. Unnecessary freezers were removed, food prep was simplified, and the menu was built around produce from the campus farm.

When construction wrapped in September 2012, North Hall earned LEED Gold certification, making it one of the oldest buildings in the United States to achieve that distinction at the time.

Rebuilding a Campus with Purpose

With North Hall complete, MCF turned its attention to the broader campus. Many small colleges, Hohlfelder notes, tend to overbuild relative to actual student needs, so each building was carefully assessed before any renovation decisions were made.

One early standout was the transformation of the deteriorated Curl Gymnasium into a modern Wellness Center, featuring a fitness room, six-lane pool, and group studio spaces open to both students and Yellow Springs residents. MCF was careful to honor the 1920s building’s architectural character — preserving its high vaulted ceilings, exposed trusses, and a striking 1938 mural by Gilbert Wilson depicting themes of gender equality and the dangers of fascism. That building, completed in September 2014, also achieved LEED Gold.

Further renovations followed, including a new Arts and Science Building, a conversion of the former science building, on track for LEED Silver certification, and the restored Foundry Theatre performance space.

A Shared Energy Future

Tying it all together is a campus-wide geothermal system, anchored in a converted engineering building that now serves as a central geothermal plant. It’s a first for MCF, which had previously designed geothermal systems for individual buildings but never one serving an entire campus network.

“It may not be the largest out there, but we designed it with the capacity to double or triple in size,” Hohlfelder says, an important consideration given that Antioch’s student body is currently a fraction of what it once was.

Every decision, from the solar arrays to the simplified kitchens, was made with growth and replication in mind. The campus itself is the curriculum.

“Antioch is trying to use their campus as an exemplar for their students so they can take those lessons learned into the real world to deal with issues on a global scale,” Hohlfelder says. “It’s very exciting to look at this from a fresh start and see how you can make a difference, and to work with a group of students, faculty and administrators who are all on board to make this happen.”