Providence, R.I. [Brown University] – Living green is no longer a fad at Brown University: it is something that the student body and campus as a whole finds to be very important. To support students in their quest to live more sustainably on campus, the Energy and Environmental Office has created an innovative Green Room tour that displays many green items that can be purchased for use in students’ dorm rooms.

The Facilities Department’s Energy and Environmental Office has been developing strategies that support and encourage students at Brown University to live more sustainably since its establishment in 2008. The development of the “Green Room” is just the Office’s latest effort, with the virtual tour now living on its website. Virtual Green Rooms have only been used by a handful of colleges and universities around the country to educate and support students to live more sustainably on campus. What truly sets Brown’s Green Room apart from others is that the website provides a high resolution, 360 degree tour through an actual dorm room that students can actively navigate as they investigate some of the many green items that can be purchased for their rooms.

Another unique feature to Brown’s Green Room is that when a sustainable item is selected, an informational box pops up that shows the item’s sustainable features, approximate cost and local locations where the item can be purchased. The Energy and Environmental Office hopes that by providing students and parents with this information, it will be easier for students to identify and purchase sustainable items for their rooms as they move onto campus. Throughout the year, additional projects will be completed with support from GreenerU, a sustainability and energy company working with Brown, which will continue to build from the many sustainability successes that Brown has already achieved.