The campus group Students for Environmental Action is petitioning the Brandeis community this week to support the group's efforts to ensure the new dormitory replacing the Ridgewood Cottages will be environmentally friendly, group leaders said.SEA is working to help Brandeis implement "green building" techniques for the proposed dorms, SEA Coordinator Elizabeth Ginsburg '08 said. Along with the petition, SEA members said they will place signs around the campus in order to raise awareness for their cause.

Approximately $20 million was set aside in Nov. by the University Board of Trustees for a new residential complex to be built on the current site of the Ridgewood Cottages. Although an official construction schedule has not been set, administrators have said the University plans to complete the project by Fall 2008.

Ginsburg said elements of the "green building" approach include energy efficient power systems, the use of non-toxic building materials and proper air circulation. One energy-saving feature includes lighting that automatically adjusts to natural sunlight.

SEA hopes its environmental concern will fit in with other Brandeis values like social justice, Ginsburg said.

"We want to take advantage of the opportunity to make [Brandeis] the most environment-conscious as it could be," she said.

Studies of colleges that have used similar techniques in their campus housing report higher academic achievement and better psychological health for their residents, Ginsburg said.

Associate Vice President for Planning, Design and Construction Dan Feldman said the economic benefits of environmentally-conscious building techniques are significant because of the rising cost of utilities.

Feldman said the costs for building with the environment in mind are not as expensive as they seemed to be in the past because more choices exist as far as materials and approaches to construction.

"If you want to do everything state-of-the-art, you can spend a lot more money than you would otherwise," Feldman said, "But there's a lot we can do that involves little or no cost."

"We are trying to spend our dollars wisely and get the most bang for our buck in terms of sustainability," he added.

Chief Operating Officer Peter French said the University spent 20 percent more on energy this fiscal year than it did last year.

He said the benefits of spending more money for better building components will lessen maintenance costs in the future.

French said the University set aside money specifically to address energy issues. "We looked at how [the University] would get the most high-impact payback," he said.

French also noted the positive environmental effects of building changes. "There's also a non-economic analysis," he said. "It's just the right thing to do."

Ariel Strauss '07, a SEA coordinator for the green building initiative, said Brandeis is considerably behind other colleges in terms of environmentalism. He said there is a lack of public awareness and a misguided focus on the importance of SEA's campaign.

"There's a lot of institutional support, but I don't think there's the right sort of general focus on environmental issues," Strauss said. "It's still very much on a financial angle."

Strauss also said the new dorms will include signs describing the environmental benefits of the buildings' features.

Feldman said the environmental aspect of the new building plans has been primarily driven by the students.

"The students that are most committed are the ones helping out on the project," he said.

Feldman also said the University has already begun to implement environmentally-safe features into the new Schneider Building under construction as part of the Heller School expansion.