DURHAM, N.C. -- Some Duke students are taking part in a green legacy by designing and building a dormitory with the environment in mind.

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"The students that live in this dormitory will have the opportunity to change and mold their environment to be what they want," said actor and environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr. "They can literally build their own Duke."

 

The Home Depot Smart Home covers 6,000 square feet. Approximately 100 Duke University students presently work on the program, which includes testing the facility for its true environmental impact.

 

"We try to make all the teams interdisciplinary," said program director Tom Rose. "And that means people from different fields working on the same solution so that you get a creative solution that is the best possible answer that you can."

 

Begley says the project comes in due time. "It's good for your pocket book," Begley said. "It's good when you look at global climate change and what that might present."

 

The price tag for the new project is about $ 2 Million dollars according to Duke. Home Depot donated much of the supplies.