The New Facility…

     The new 4,200 ft2 structure will provide: (1) male and female dormitories and (2) a multi-purpose kitchen/dining/meeting area. The building will be composed of two wings that will consist of the dormitory areas, each with its own bathrooms with showers. In the center portion will be the kitchen and the dining/meeting area with a vaulted ceiling and at the opposite end will be a large kitchen. Each dormitory wing will be 112 m2 (1,200 ft2) in size with four 2 bunk bed units and two 3 bunk bed units. The dorms will house a total of forty-eight people. The 1,200 ft2 dining area should accommodate over 100 people comfortably using removable folding tables. The 200- ft2 kitchen will have separate swinging entrance and exit doors, sufficient counter space, a large commercial gas stove and large commercial sink. Patio areas outside and large windows throughout will promote appreciation of the surrounding woodlands.

     The structure will be constructed using insulated concrete form (ICF) technology. These forms are comprised of modular blocks composed of recycled expanded polystyrene. The blocks go together much like a child’s Lego blocks forming an 11-inch wide insulated form that is reinforced with steel rebar and filled with concrete providing an interior 6-inch steel- reinforced concrete wall. This increasingly popular construction method has been endorsed by the Department of Energy’s Energy Star Program as a highly energy efficient construction method that can reduce heating and cooling cost by up to 50 %. In addition, this construction method uses 1/5 the lumber that is used in traditional wood framing and offers protection against high winds and tornados.

     The new facility will allow Kibbe: (1) to utilize the station more fully as a platform for research throughout the upper Mississippi River System (UMRS), (2) to better accommodate university faculty and visiting researchers who conduct classes or studies for extended periods of time, (3) to expand the number of field courses in our curriculum and the number of students enrolled in these courses, and (4) to provide better outreach and educational programs to K-12 schools both in the region and through the Earthwatch Institute and other national environmental/educational organizations.

     A photo gallery of the groundbreaking ceremony and the construction of the new building is coming soon.