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.
U Richmond Stadium Achieves LEED Silver
The University of Richmond's (VA) Robins Stadium has achieved LEED Silver certification. Sustainable features include a reflective roof, low-flow water fixtures and passive solar design. Many construction materials were recycled or extracted and manufactured within 500 miles.
Utah State U BioInnovations Center Earns LEED Gold
Utah State University's Utah Science Technology and Research BioInnovations Center has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The 118,000-square-foot building achieves almost 48 percent in energy savings over the baseline.
Wayne State U Opens Civil Rights and Social Justice Center
Wayne State University (MI) has dedicated the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights, named after the celebrated federal judge and university alum. The 10,000-square-foot addition to the university's law building will serve as a center for civil rights law and social justice programs.
Bowdoin College Installs Green Roof
Bowdoin College (ME) has installed its first green roof on the campus heating plant. The living roof includes a variety of flowering plants that will help reduce the urban heat island effect, extend the life of the roof and absorb rainwater.
Elon U Adopts Green Building Policy
Elon University (NC) has adopted a Green Building Policy that calls for future construction projects to be designed and built to LEED standards.
Johnson & Wales U Welcome Center Earns LEED Gold
Johnson & Wales University's (RI) Grace Welcome Center has received LEED Gold certification. The university's second LEED-certified building incorporates passive solar design to minimize the use of artificial lighting.
North Shore CC Debuts Zero Net Energy Building
North Shore Community College (MA) has opened a new zero net energy Health Professions and Student Services building, designed to generate more energy than it consumes. The 58,000-square-foot features solar panels, a green roof to filter rainwater for use in toilets and 60 geothermal wells. Excess electricity produced by the solar panels will be used to power a neighboring building and sold to the local utility company.
Syracuse U Residence Hall Awarded LEED Gold
Syracuse University's (NY) newest residence hall has earned LEED Gold certification. The university's first LEED-certified building features low-flow plumbing, a stormwater retention system, enhanced site permeability and landscape design that incorporates native plants. Additional sustainable features include a white roof, high-performance insulated glass windows, passive solar design and variable-speed kitchen and laundry dyer exhaust fans to reduce electricity use.
U Montana Native American Center Earns LEED Platinum
The University of Montana's new Payne Family Native American Center has received the first LEED Platinum certification for the campus. Green features of the building include an east-facing, canted roof with a slotted skylight for natural light; low-flow faucets, showers and toilets; a groundwater-based cooling system; and high-efficiency air filters that minimize dust. The building also features salvaged wood including 12 poles dredged from the Blackfoot River after the local Milltown Dam was removed that encircle the center's gathering place and represent Montana's 12 tribes.
Xavier U Opens Green Dining Complex
Xavier University (OH) has opened its new residential and dining complex. The 245,000-square-foot building features a multi-layer green roof system, low-flow plumbing fixtures, lighting occupancy sensors and plans for a “how low can you go” energy reduction competition among residents.
Chattahoochee Technical College Campus Receives LEED Gold
The Canton campus of Chattahoochee Technical College (GA) has earned LEED Gold certification. The one-building campus features drought resistant landscaping, light pollution reduction, optimized energy performance and recycling facilities.
Portland State U Adds Solar to Renovated LEED Platinum Hall
As part of a LEED Platinum certification awarded in June, Portland State University (OR) has completed the installation of 234 solar panels on its 100-year-old Lincoln Hall. Extensive renovations to the building, which also include 324 new energy-efficient windows, have been funded in part by $31 million in appropriations by the Oregon Legislature and government stimulus money.
Unity College Dedicates Passive House Residence Hall
A year after students and faculty gathered to provide design ideas and concerns, Unity College (ME) has unveiled its new Terra Haus residence hall. Designed and built to Passive House standards, the 2,500-square-foot residence was modeled to use the equivalent of 50-75 gallons of oil per year for space heating, less than 10 percent of the heating load for a home similar in size and climate.
2 New Pomona College Residence Halls to Seek LEED Platinum
Pomona College (CA) has opened two new residence halls designed to LEED Platinum standards. Sustainable features of both buildings include a solar hot water system predicted to provide 80 percent of the buildings' needs; low water-use fixtures predicted to decrease water use 36.6 percent; a stormwater management plan; and sustainability tip cards and recycling rooms on every floor to encourage student residents to learn how to live more sustainably.
Iowa State U Plants Rooftop Research Garden
A group of Iowa State University students, under the direction of the master gardener coordinator, has planted a garden atop the university's horticulture hall for education and research purposes. The $12,000 project was covered by a grant from the Iowa Nursery Research Corporation and a donation from a company specializing in green roofs.
U Memphis Pilots Rooftop Garden
The University of Memphis (TN) has installed a 200-square-foot rooftop garden on its physical plant building as a pilot project. Featuring succulent plants that can withstand extreme weather, the garden will help insulate the building, reduce stormwater run-off and prolong the life of the roof. If the pilot proves cost-effective, the university plans to install more green roofs across campus.
Bowling Green State U Installs Green Roof
Bowling Green State University (OH) has installed a green roof atop its Oaks Dining Center to reduce heat and stormwater runoff. The university's Green Initiative and Dining Services funded the $30,000 project.
Montgomery College Unveils New Green Science Center
Montgomery College (MD) has opened a new 140,000-square-foot Science Center designed to meet LEED Gold standards. Sustainable features include a green roof, high-efficiency chillers, solar panels, an underground cistern and recycled construction materials. Exterior features include native planting, extensive bicycle racks and a stormwater management pond.
Oberlin College Art Museum Renovation Earns LEED Gold
Oberlin College’s (OH) renovation of the Allen Memorial Art Museum has achieved LEED Gold certification. Built in 1917, the building features geothermal wells and new energy-efficient mechanical systems to meet stringent climate control requirements. Additional sustainable features include the preservation of the building’s footprint, protection of vegetated open space and the use of materials with recycled content.
U Wisconsin Oshkosh Opens New Green Building
The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh has dedicated its most environmentally friendly and efficient building on campus. Sustainable features of the 191,000-square-foot academic building include passive solar design, solar panels and a green roof. The university expects to save $182,000 annually on operating costs.
Williams College Adopts Green Building Guidelines
Williams College (MA) has adopted green building guidelines tailored to help reduce the college's greenhouse gas emissions to 10 percent below 1990 levels. The guidelines propose strategies that include passive solar energy, renewable energy sources and buildings designed to seek LEED Gold certification.
Clarkson U Building Receives LEED Gold
Clarkson University's (NY) Technology Advancement Center has achieved LEED Gold certification. Sustainable features include solar panels, three micro-turbine units, a rainwater collection system, passive solar design, motion and daylight sensors to curtail energy use, high-efficiency air filtration systems, and local and recycled construction materials.
Eastern Mennonite U Residence Hall Earns LEED Gold
A new residence hall at Eastern Mennonite University (VA) has achieved LEED Gold certification. The Cedarwood dormitory features extensive natural lighting; recycled flooring; a bioretention filtration system to manage rainwater runoff; a bike shed with a green landscaped roof; native landscaping; and low-flow water fixtures.
Cornell U Physical Sciences Building Earns LEED Gold
Cornell University's (NY) new Physical Sciences Building has earned LEED Gold certification. The building is equipped with sensors that increase or decrease ventilation based on whether the space is occupied. Air from office spaces is also reused in lab spaces, as this air has been preheated or cooled. Other efficiency measures include a white roofing system, light-colored paving to reduce heat gain in the building and a rainwater capture system for irrigation.
U California Berkeley Restoration Earns LEED Silver
The restoration of Durant Hall at the University of California, Berkeley has earned LEED Silver certification. Eighty-eight percent of waste materials leftover from construction were diverted from landfills and recycled. Twenty-two percent of the materials used came from within 500 miles of campus. Sustainable features also include low-flow plumbing and energy-efficient mechanical and electricity systems.
Ball State U Media Building Receives LEED Silver
Ball State University's (IN) David Letterman Communication and Media Building has earned LEED Silver certification. Environmentally friendly features of the building include low-flow bathroom fixtures and waterless urinals, occupancy sensors, individual temperature controls, native landscaping that doesn't require irrigation and bicycle parking.
Colorado College Opens Renovated Green Student Center
Colorado College has completed a $9 million renovation of its campus student center with the goal of reducing the building’s energy use by 30 percent. A 144-panel solar array was installed on the roof, which will contribute about 4 percent of the electricity needed and save about $3,800 per year. Other sustainable features include energy-efficient lighting and low-flow plumbing.
Iowa State U Science Facility Earns LEED Gold
Iowa State University’s Hach Hall has achieved LEED Gold certification. The $74.5 million building houses classrooms, laboratories and instrumentation. The facility makes use of large windows for natural light, automated lighting and low-flow fume hoods with energy recovery. Recycled material was a key factor in the construction of the building including the ceiling tile, carpet, copper piping and metal door hinges.
Towson U Debuts 2 New Environmentally Friendly Buildings
Towson University (MD) has opened the doors of a new student housing community and academic building, both of which will seek LEED certification. The university's College of Liberal Arts Building is expected to receive Gold certification with a high-performance HVAC system with automated central controls and bike racks, showers and locker facilities to promote students and faculty to walk or bike to class. The 700,000-square-foot West Village community includes two new residence halls and will seek LEED Silver certification.
California State U San Marcos Earns Second LEED Certification
California State University, San Marcos' new Social and Behavioral Sciences building has earned LEED Silver certification, the second LEED certification for the campus. Environmentally friendly features include a stormwater system that saves 60 percent of the water used for landscape irrigation, low-water use fixtures, high-efficiency lighting, automated ventilation systems and energy-efficient windows. Seventy-four percent of the project waste was diverted from the landfill.
