Martin Hall was recently honored by Engineering News-Record (ENR) MidAtlantic with a Sustainability Award of Merit, as selected by a group of industry experts.

The reimagined building, which re-opened in the fall of 2025 after more than two years of construction, is illustrative of the College's commitment not only to interdisciplinary connection, but to sustainability as well.

Martin is powered by Swarthmore’s new carbon-free geoexchange system through To Zero By Thirty-Five, and supports the College’s bold and ambitious plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. Its connection to Swarthmore’s geo-exchange system allows it to be heated and cooled by a system of underground wells which, along with solar panels on the roof result in reductions in the building’s energy and carbon use.

The building’s highly insulated and air-tight envelope helps maintain temperature and reduce the use of air conditioning and heating. Martin Hall’s operations are estimated to use about 85% less energy than a comparable building. 

Construction emphasized the use of a number of recycled materials, chosen for their low embodied carbon, as well as existing materials from the original building that were salvaged for reuse. Martin’s construction used 30% less embodied carbon than an equivalent baseline building.

Special care and consideration were also given to the ecology of place. Construction intentionally integrated the building into the surrounding ecosystem, enhancing native vegetation and supporting local biodiversity. Efforts to regenerate the habitat include stormwater retention and the addition of over 60 trees to the site. The wood of several trees that were removed was salvaged and used in Martin Hall and other campus projects.

In addition to receiving the award, the building meets the rigorous standards of the Living Building Core Certification, by centering “intentional resource use and ecosystem impact, regenerative design and construction practices, and the health of building occupants and the surrounding community.”