Purpose of Reith Village
Rieth Village was created to house Goshen College’s expanding environmental
science program and to enable students to live near the ecosystems they study
at Merry Lea, the college’s 1,150-acre nature preserve. It was conceived
and designed to meet the highest standards of the U.S. Green Building Council’s
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system. LEED buildings
are required to meet rigorous standards in areas such as energy efficiency,
water management, use of recycled materials and indoor air quality. At present,
no Indiana building has attained LEED certification, though several are in
process.
"The diversity of ecosystems we have here at Merry Lea is a treasure that must be shared," says Luke Gascho, Director at Merry Lea. "By enabling students to live on site, near the ecosystems they are studying, we will offer a unique immersion not available at most academic institutions." Living in sustainable buildings will be an important part of the experience. Students will monitor their own energy usage, learn how the water they use is purified by wetland plants and discover the benefits of ground source heat pumps.