[2] The 9,000 sq ft (840 m2) living building is the newest teaching tool for the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, which has been providing educational nature programs and summer camps for children since 1962.

Beginning in 2017, The Hitchcock Center was audited by a third party and monitored for a 12-month period to certify that it met the standards of the Living Building Challenge Version 2.1.

[2] The challenge has seven categories that are referred to as petals, including Place, Water, Energy, Health & Happiness, Materials, Equity, and Beauty.

[5] The Hitchcock Center was confirmed to meet the expectations of all seven petals, and on May 2, 2019, they joined the short list of institutions able to complete a fully certified Living Building.

[6] The Hitchcock Center was Net-Energy Positive during its observation cycle, meaning it was able to provide the surrounding areas with energy on top of powering itself.

The first 1/16” of rainwater is separated due to higher impurities (see first flush diverter), while the remainder is treated using sand filtration and Ultraviolet Light.

[6][5] Lumber was almost entirely FSC certified, and the structural wood frames were made of locally sourced Black Spruce, Northern Cedar, and Eastern White Pine.

[5][10] Concrete artists from EnnisArt had to change their typical color pigments to a product which did not contain Red List materials in order to complete their depiction of the Connecticut Valley Watershed located in the water-filtration room.

Located on Hampshire College's campus, the Center provides a direct benefit to the community and is accessible by local transportation services.