U South Florida Science Building Achieves LEED Gold
The new Interdisciplinary Science Teaching & Research building at the University of South Florida has attained LEED Gold certification. The energy-efficient building features high-performance glazing construction, reduced interior lighting, occupancy sensors and sustainable materials including post-industrial scrap and pre-consumer recycled content.
U Vermont Lab Building Earns LEED Gold
The University of Vermont’s James M. Jeffords Hall has achieved LEED Gold certification. The 97,000- square-foot, $56 million lab and office building features an underground central steam and chilled water system, occupancy system for lighting and ventilation, and regionally produced construction products. More than 90 percent of construction and demolition waste was diverted from the landfill.
Harvard U Building Goes Double LEED Platinum
Harvard University (MA) has announced a second LEED Platinum certification for its Campus Services building. The university initially achieved its first LEED Platinum certification with the building in 2007 in the New Construction category. Now, the building has earned a second Platinum nod in the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (EBOM) category and has outperformed the energy reduction predictions developed during the original renovation.
Seattle U Buildings Go Carbon Neutral with Upgrades, Offsets
Through new infrastructure enhancements and offsets, campus buildings at Seattle University (WA) have achieved carbon neutrality. The university saves emissions with a new natural gas fuel source, highly efficient gas boiler loop and a manure-to-power project investment. Ninety-eight percent of the university’s electricity is produced from Seattle City Light’s mix of hydro, wind and biomass, and the remaining 2 percent is offset with renewable energy credits.
U Georgia Art Museum Earns LEED Gold
The University of Georgia’s Museum of Art has achieved LEED Gold certification. Sustainable features include two underground cisterns for landscape use, rain gardens, low-flow plumbing fixtures and passive solar design. Ninety-one percent of the construction waste was also salvaged or recycled for use on site or in campus projects.
Johnson County CC Health Education Center Receives LEED Gold
Johnson County Community College’s (KS) Olathe Health Education Center has received LEED Gold certification. Featuring a geothermal heat pump and passive solar design, the building consumes 48 percent less energy than a comparable new building. The center was also completed $1 million under budget.
McGill U Science Complex Earns LEED Gold
McGill University's (QC) Life Sciences Complex has been awarded LEED gold certification by the Canada Green Building Council. The two-facility complex features a heat recovery system, innovative management of fume hoods, lighting efficiency, and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems with variable speed drives. Rainwater captured from the building's reflective roof is stored in a cistern for toilet and urinal use, cutting potable water consumption by 50 percent. Ninety-six percent of construction-related waste was diverted from landfills.
U Washington Tacoma Renovation Awarded LEED Platinum
The University of Washington, Tacoma has achieved LEED Platinum certification for the renovation of its Joy Building, providing more classroom space for the university. Eighty-four percent of the building structure was reused and 95 percent of construction waste was recycled. Built near public transportation, the building features an electric vehicle recharging station and 56 secure bike storage locations.
Kwantlen Polytechnic U Library Awarded LEED Gold
Kwantlen Polytechnic University's (BC) Coast Capital Library has received LEED Gold certification. Featuring natural ventilation, the building consumes 65 percent less energy compared to the model National Building Code and more than 40 percent of construction materials were sourced locally.
U California San Diego Renovation Earns LEED-EBOM Gold
The University of California, San Diego’s Supercomputer Center has achieved LEED Gold certification in the Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance category. The renovated includes the increased use of natural day lighting, a comprehensive recycling program, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and environmentally responsible cleaning and landscape maintenance programs.
Morgan CC Classroom Building Earns LEED Gold
Morgan Community College’s (CO) Spruce Hall has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The building features a 19-kilowatt photovoltaic system and water-efficient landscaping. Additional sustainable features include low-flow plumbing fixtures, passive solar design and low emitting materials.
U North Carolina Greensboro Education Building Earns LEED Gold
The University of North Carolina, Greensboro’s School of Education building has achieved LEED Gold certification. Thirty percent of the $47 million project features regional materials and 88 percent of the construction waste was recycled. Sustainable features include drought resistant plants, low-flow plumbing, a bio-retention pond and sand filter systems.
Duke U Debuts New Green Residence Hall
Duke University (NC) has debuted its latest residence hall, designed to achieve LEED Silver certification. The 75,000-square-foot building will use 35 percent less water and 12 percent less energy than an average building of the same size. Sustainable features include a storage room for bicycles, recycling bins and low-flow plumbing. Seventy-five percent of construction materials were recycled.
Hagerstown CC Unveils Green STEM Building
Hagerstown Community College (MD) has opened its new energy-efficient Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) building. Sustainable features include sunshades, improved air quality and a system that catches rainwater for use in toilets. The college plans to eventually install solar panels and green roofs.
New England IT Opens New Green Campus
New England Institute of Technology (RI) has completed a green renovation of its East Greenwich campus. Sustainable features of the building, which sits on 25 acres of land, include recycled and reused construction debris, low-VOC materials, a groundwater harvesting system and motion-detected lights. Additionally, 60 LED lights were installed on light poles across campus.
Texas Tech U Debuts Green Business Building
Texas Tech University has opened its newest green building, designed to meet LEED requirements. Sustainable features of the Rawls College of Business building include recycling stations and four detention ponds to capture stormwater. Seventy-five percent of construction waste was diverted from landfills.
U Calgary Lab to Seek LEED Platinum
The University of Calgary (AB) has debuted its Energy Environment Experiential Learning laboratory building, which will seek LEED Platinum certification. Sustainable features include the redistribution of sunlight using reflective surfaces, high-efficiency light fixtures controlled by a computerized system using occupancy sensors and smart time scheduling, fixed and moving sunshades, and cooling towers.
Delaware Technical & CC Energy House Earns LEED Platinum
Delaware Technical & Community College’s Energy House has been awarded LEED Platinum certification. The house was constructed on campus to serve as an educational lab for students to learn about innovative energy-efficient and renewable technology and materials. Included in the design of the building are solar systems, wind generation equipment, a living green roof, radiant floor heating, geothermal options and examples of efficiency in construction and appliance usage.
Elon U Housing Units Receive LEED Platinum
Six houses in Elon University's (NC) Loy Center have received LEED for Homes Platinum certification. The residences, occupied by fraternity and sorority students, were designed with water- and energy-efficient features and recycled materials. House managers in each residence have completed a training session on the operations and unique features of the center, and there is a Sustainable Living Guide for residents.
Portland State U Science Building Awarded LEED Gold
Portland State University’s (OR) renovated Science Research and Teaching Center has received LEED Gold certification. Sustainable features of the eighth LEED-certified building on campus include new low-flow laboratory hoods, high performance windows, energy-efficient lighting, occupancy sensors and new mechanical and heating systems. The $46.5 million makeover will reduce energy use by 20 to 30 percent with a potential cost savings of $300,000 per year.
Towson U Earns First LEED Gold Certification
Towson University's (MD) West Village Commons has received LEED Gold certification, the first building on campus to receive the designation. Sustainable features of the dining and student life building include a roof garden, organics composting system, single stream recycling containers and convenient bike parking. At peak performance, the building is designed to reduce energy consumption by 50 percent, water use by 40 percent and solid waste by 70 percent.
U Colorado Boulder Residence Hall Earns LEED Platinum
The University of Colorado Boulder's newest residence hall has received LEED Platinum certification. The $46.5 million Williams Village North building, with 131,246 gross square feet, is projected to be nearly 40 percent more energy- and water-efficient than modern buildings of the same size. Sustainable features include on-site solar panels, information kiosks, a water bottle filling station, low-flow plumbing, passive solar design and an advanced heat-recovery system.
U Wyoming Debuts Online Green Building Resources
The University of Wyoming's Environment and Natural Resources website has posted "lessons learned" from the construction of the university's Bim Kendall House, designed to achieve LEED certification. The website serves as a resource for members of the campus and broader community who want more information on sustainable building products including the building's current LEED scorecard, building materials and furniture. Visitors can also use the site to track renewable energy production from the building's photovoltaic panels. An online green building tour will be available in the spring.
Western Kentucky U Earns First LEED Certification
Western Kentucky University's 120,000-square-foot Gary A. Ransdell Hall has received the first LEED certification for the campus. Sustainable features of the LEED Gold-certified building include energy-efficient lighting, highly insulated walls, an efficient heating and cooling system and a reflective roof. Recycled, local materials were used during construction.
Carnegie Mellon U Centers Achieve LEED Gold
Carnegie Mellon University (PA) has earned LEED Gold certification for both its Gates Center for Computer Science and Hillman Center for Future-Generation Technologies. Sustainable features of both buildings include green roofs, rainwater harvesting systems, and locally sourced and recycled construction materials.
Harvard U Kennedy School Auditorium Awarded LEED Gold
The renovation of the auditorium at Harvard University's (MA) Kennedy School has earned LEED Gold certification. One hundred percent of the furniture was reused in the renovation and 88 percent of the construction waste recycled and reused. Additional sustainable features include a highly efficient HVAC system and low-flow plumbing fixtures.
San Diego Miramar College Police Station to Seek LEED Platinum
San Diego Miramar College (CA) has opened its new Police Station and parking structure. The station will pursue LEED Platinum certification with sustainability elements that include a green roof and green screen, reclaimed water for flushing toilets and all irrigation needs, and a tower that serves as a solar chimney and creates a flow of natural ventilation.
U California Irvine Humanities Bldg Earns LEED Platinum
The University of California, Irvine has earned its first LEED Platinum building certification with its Humanities Gateway building. Sustainable features include high-efficiency elevators and a California Cool Room that has a system of reflective coatings to minimize heat reflection.
U Florida Office Building Earns LEED Gold
The University of Florida's East Campus Office Building has achieved LEED Gold certification. Thirty percent of the building's materials feature recycled content and nearly 97 percent of on-site construction waste was diverted from landfill.
U Winnipeg Achieves LEED Silver with 2 Buildings
The University of Winnipeg (MB) has earned LEED Silver certification from the Canadian Green Building Council for both its McFeetors Hall: Great-West Life Student Residence building and Students' Association Daycare Centre. Both buildings feature aerator faucets, dual flush toilets, energy recovery ventilators, occupancy sensors and energy-efficient light fixtures. Eighty percent of the construction waste was recycled or salvaged.
Jamestown CC Debuts Green Science Center
Jamestown Community College’s (NY) new science center has achieved LEED certification. The 26,762-square-foot facility features a rainwater harvesting system that provides water for flushing toilets, greenhouse plants and a drip irrigation system for the vegetative roof garden. Additional sustainable features include passive solar design, permeable pathways and a wetland habitat restoration space.
Norwalk CC Opens Green Science, Health and Wellness Center
Norwalk Community College (CT) has debuted a new Science, Health and Wellness Center with green features including double-pane windows glazed to reduce emissions, compact fluorescent lighting, and controls that sense occupants. The building has saved the college $79,300 in utility costs since its August opening.
Santa Clara U Student Center Earns LEED Gold
Santa Clara University’s (CA) Paul Locatelli Student Activity Center has achieved LEED Gold certification. Built in 2010, the 16,284-square-foot building integrates energy-efficient features like trellises and overhangs to reduce direct solar gain. Additional sustainable features include the use of permeable walkways and low-emission materials during construction.
Oberlin College Music Conservatory Awarded LEED Gold
Oberlin College's (OH) new music conservatory has earned LEED Gold certification. Completed in 2010 for $15.5 million, the 37,000-square-foot Bertram and Judith Kohl building was designed to achieve an energy performance 50 percent beyond the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) baseline. It features a geothermal heating and cooling system, and a green roof for stormwater management. Construction materials were regionally manufactured and sustainably harvested, and 90 percent of the construction waste was transported to a local recycling facility.
U Denver Renovation Receives EPA Energy Star Certification
The University of Denver's (CO) three-year overhaul and energy upgrade of the Johnson-McFarlane residence hall has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star certification. Buildings that earn the certification typically use an average of 35 percent less energy and release 35 percent less carbon dioxide than their peers. The renovation includes better insulated windows, an upgraded heating system, more efficient hot water exchangers and upgraded lighting.
Harvard U Lab Renovation Earns LEED Platinum
The renovation of Harvard University's (MA) Vlassak Laboratory in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has achieved LEED Platinum certification. The 2,540-square-foot facility features a heat recovery (enthalpy) wheel in the exhaust system that transfers both heat and humidity into the incoming air, reducing the energy needed to condition the air by up to 75 percent. The renovation also includes digital addressable lighting interface (DALI) systems that allow for time of day control, daylight harvesting, off-hours zone control, occupancy sensors and dimming.
U British Columbia Debuts Sustainability Living Laboratory
The University of British Columbia has opened the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability, a $37 million living laboratory aimed at advancing research and innovation on global sustainability challenges. Built to exceed LEED Platinum and Living Building Challenge standards, the facility includes a theatre with visualization and interaction technologies to engage audiences in sustainability and climate change scenarios; indoor environmental quality and building simulation software labs; a building management system that shares building performance in real-time; and a cafe that uses no disposable packaging and serves local and organic food.
U Kansas Center Wins North America Sustainable Design Award
The University of Kansas' Center for Design Research was recognized along with 10 other projects in a North American competition by the Swiss-based Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction. The center, which will seek LEED Platinum certification, was awarded an Acknowledgement Prize for sustainable strategies including rainwater collection and reuse, a living wall, wind turbines, solar collectors and an electric vehicle charging station.
Western Technical College Building Receives LEED Silver
Western Technical College's (WI) Kumm Center has achieved LEED Silver certification. Green building features include energy-efficient lighting and controls, and materials that are non-toxic and high in recycled content.
Birmingham-Southern College Dorms Achieve LEED Certification
Birmingham-Southern College’s (AL) Lakeview North and Lakeview South residence halls have achieved LEED certification. A 15,000-gallon water storage cistern buried between the buildings captures rainwater from the roof to use for landscape irrigation. Additional sustainable features include low-flow plumbing, high performance windows, heavily insulated walls and passive solar design.
Calif State U San Bernardino Health Science Bldg Earns LEED Gold
California State University, San Bernardino’s Health Science Facility has earned LEED Gold certification. The building’s sustainable strategies include on-site drainage basins to recharge the aquifer; controllable day lighting and automated lighting controls; cool roofs and reflective paving; and an interactive kiosk that displays the building’s sustainable features.
New Portland CC Building to Seek LEED Platinum
Portland Community College (OR) has opened a new center designed to LEED Platinum standards. Newberg Center's sustainable features include bi-facial solar panels, bicycle racks and showering facilities, low-flow fixtures, and a reflective white roof. The $7.2 million facility is anticipated to become carbon neutral once additional solar panels capable of producing up to 75 kilowatts are installed later this year.
U California Davis Awarded Third LEED Platinum Certification
The University of California, Davis's new Conference Center and Maurice Gallagher Jr. Hall has received the university’s third LEED Platinum certification. The 83,000-square-foot complex was designed to consume 30 percent less energy than a typical office building.
U Calif Santa Barbara Faculty Housing Earns LEED Certification
Created to provide affordable housing for faculty, the first 22 homes of the University of California, Santa Barbara's Ocean Walk faculty housing project have been awarded LEED for Homes certification. Located less than a mile from the beach, extensive steps were taken to maintain a clean environment during construction including erosion controls, water management and mitigation of debris entering waterways. Each home features Energy Star-rated appliances, high-efficiency water fixtures and smart irrigation systems.
U Mass Amherst Debuts Green Public Safety Building
The University of Massachusetts Amherst’s new 27,000-square-foot campus police station has been designed to achieve LEED certification. The $12.5 million facility uses 43 percent less energy than a standard building and at least 90 percent of the construction waste was diverted from landfills. A kiosk in the lobby of the station provides visitors with educational information about the building’s sustainable features and will exhibit live data regarding the building’s energy consumption.
Community College Green Building Continues Despite Tight Budgets
With community and state support, several community colleges are planning new buildings and energy-efficient renovations despite the downturn in the economy, according to a new Community College Times article. To keep up with increased enrollment, colleges like Onondaga Community College (NY) and Allan Hancock College (CA) are breaking ground on multi-million dollar facilities that will seek LEED certification. Others, like College of DuPage (IL), are undergoing extensive energy-efficient renovations.
MIT Research Facility Earns LEED Gold
Massachusetts Institute of Technology's David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research has earned LEED Gold certification. The 357,000-square-foot research facility features stormwater filtration, efficient fume hoods and a cascading ventilation system. The building reduces total energy use by more than 30 percent compared to a standard laboratory research facility.
Syracuse U Center of Excellence Awarded LEED Platinum
Syracuse University’s (NY) Center of Excellence has been awarded LEED Platinum certification. Headquartered on a three-acre, EPA-designated brownfield site, the construction process cleared the land of environmental contamination and restored it for sustained use. Sustainable features include a stormwater detention tank, demand-controlled ventilation, waterless urinals and a roof designed for future installation of photovoltaics, building-scale wind turbines and rooftop HVAC units.
U North Texas Football Stadium Achieves LEED Platinum
The University of North Texas has received the first LEED Platinum certification in the nation for a newly constructed collegiate football stadium. Green features of Apogee Stadium include campus bus stops, secured bicycle storage and preferred parking spaces for carpooling; native landscaping; and energy-efficient heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting equipment. With a $2 million grant from the State Energy Conservation Office, the university is currently installing three wind turbines that will help power the stadium.
