The new boilers are sufficient to heat the greatly enlarged and connected, two-building complex. One of the many technological innovations of Oakes Hall is its enthalpic energy recovery wheel. Marc Rosenbaum, PE, of energysmiths, Meriden, NH, was the project's environmental design consultant. Vermont Law School's new facility meets this objective through the use of long-lasting interior and exterior finish materials, building components selected on the basis of their resistance to wear, and the control of moisture, air, and heat through the building. The building is also exceptionally thrifty in terms of resource needs.
Energy consumption is minimized via economical heating, cooling, and lighting systems.
Taking into account the limitations of South Royalton's small, municipal water system, the new facility has been designed to actually reduce the law school's overall water demand. The flushing of toilets typically accounts for the largest percentage of water use in an educational building, and the new building's chief strategy for reducing water demand is the use of composting toilets on the main and upper levels. Rather than using water, these units employ aerobic bacteria to ultimately render waste into potential fertilizer. To further reduce campus-wide water consumption, a number of plumbing fixtures were removed from the Old Classroom Building and other campus structures. This was made possible due to the new building's increased capacity.