Ohio State U 4-H Center Receives LEED Certification
The Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center on Ohio State University's campus has received LEED certification. The building, which received 30 points under the LEED system, features dual-flush toilets; recycled materials in carpeting, wall panels, and structural steel and concrete; and a geothermal heating and cooling system.
Saginaw Valley State U Building Receives LEED Silver
Saginaw Valley State University's (MI) Pioneer Hall has received LEED Silver certification. Green features include on-site water retention, high performance glass, a 30 percent reduction in water use, and an energy recovery system. In addition, half of all construction waste was diverted from the landfill, a minimum of 20 percent of the building materials contain recycled content, and part of the structure's wood materials come from sustainably-managed forests. Pioneer Hall, which underwent a $16 million expansion and renovation, opened in September 2008.
U Lethbridge Opens Water & Env'l Science Research Facility
The University of Lethbridge (AB) has opened its new Water and Environmental Science Building. The 60,000 square foot facility will house an Aquatic Research Facility, offices, meeting rooms, classrooms, wet labs, dry labs, and an Analytical Lab. Environmentally friendly features of the $27 million structure include a rainwater collection system, natural airflow, efficient air-conditioning and heating systems, and a three-story vertical greenhouse. The rainwater collected in the cistern will be used in building toilets and for irrigation.
LaGrange College Earns Energy Star Rating
Three residence halls at LaGrange College (GA) have earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star rating. So far, only 16 dormitories in the country, including LaGrange’s three dorms, have received the Energy Star. To earn it, a professional engineer must perform an audit on a building, measuring the energy-efficient products and practices on a 1 to 100 scale. Facilities achieving a score of 75 or higher are eligible for the award.
Middlebury College Building Awarded LEED-NC Platinum
Middlebury College’s (VT) Franklin Environmental Center has been awarded LEED-NC Platinum certification. The Center, which is used for classes, seminars, faculty offices and student study areas, features locally supplied slate, stone, granite, and Forest Stewardship Council certified hardwood.
UC Merced Redesigns Construction Plans to Increase Green Space
The University of California, Merced has redesigned its plans to construct student housing, a sports complex, and a research and development park to incorporate more green space and reduce environmental damage. The University decreased the size of the new campus and accompanying student neighborhoods from 3,025 to 2,766 acres. In addition, buildings have been relocated within the plan to reduce wetland impact by one third. The University also plans to undertake mitigation measures for the damage the new construction will cause.
U Illinois Breaks Ground for Supercomputer Center
The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has broken ground for its new 88,000 square foot building that will house a new petascale supercomputer, which will be online in 2011. UI plans to keep the new machine cool by routing chilled water into the frame that holds the computer’s processors, which should reduce energy use by approximately 40 percent. The facility is expected to earn LEED Gold.
Wright State U Laboratory Awarded LEED NC-Gold
The Wright State University (OH) Matthew O. Diggs III Laboratory for Life Science Research has been awarded LEED NC-Gold. The laboratory building, which features a white roof, white concrete, water-efficient landscaping, waterless urinals, low-flow plumbing fixtures, designated parking spaces for car-pooling and fuel-efficient vehicles, and the use of green cleaning methods and recycled paper products.
Point Park U Dance Complex Achieves LEED Gold
Point Park University's (PA) new dance complex has earned LEED Gold certification. The 44,000 square-foot building features an Energy-Star rated roof, water-saving systems, sustainable wood floors, and low-emitting paints, carpeting and other materials. The building also features a heating and cooling system that draws in maximum amounts of fresh air, continuous air quality monitoring, and automated lighting and temperature controls.
Bronx CC Breaks Ground for Green Building
Bronx Community College of the City University of New York has broken ground for a 98,000-square-foot green academic building and library. The new structure, expected to cost $102-million, is designed to achieve LEED Silver certification.
Penn State Solar Home Opens on Campus
Penn State University has opened MorningStar, an 800-square-foot solar house that was designed and constructed by Penn State students and faculty as Penn State's entry in the 2007 Solar Decathlon, an international competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. MorningStar will serve as a laboratory to develop a better understanding of the best technologies and systems for the Pennsylvania climate and as a center for green outreach, where students can receive training to give public tours and raise awareness about energy-efficient building and living.
Rice U Breaks Ground on Green Residential College
Rice University (TX) has broken ground for its new residential college, Duncan Hall. The student residential-housing building is registered for LEED Gold certification. Duncan College’s green features will include smart lights, a green roof, a classroom with sustainable materials and furnishing, and air-conditioners that shut off automatically when windows are open.
Virginia Commonwealth U Unveils New Green Building
Virginia Commonwealth University has unveiled its new $2.6 million research and education building at the Rice Center, VCU’s 343-acre living laboratory on the James River. The building was constructed with a goal of achieving LEED Platinum. The 4,900-square-foot Walter L. Rice Education Building houses lecture and laboratory rooms for classes, a conference room and administrative offices as well as an outdoor classroom pavilion. The building incorporates features such as geothermal heating and cooling, solar electrical power generation, an advanced water recycling and wastewater treatment systems; high-efficiency interior and exterior lighting; high insulation levels that rely on soy-based products and recycled denim; and ventilation via operable windows.
SUNY Cobleskill Breaks Ground for Green Technology Center
The State University of New York Cobleskill has broken ground on its new Center for Environmental Science and Technology (CEST). The new structure will be a center for teaching, learning, and research in green technology. SUNY Cobleskill’s CEST will house research in the conversion of agricultural and municipal waste to clean energy through gasification. The college has been allocated nearly $4 million from the US Departments of Defense and Energy for the research.
UC San Diego Dedicates Green Building Extension
The University of California, San Diego has dedicated a new, energy-efficient building extension on the San Diego Supercomputer Center. The new extension increased the existing supercomputer center to 160,000 square-feet, and officials say it was built to standards equivalent to LEED Silver. The structure features a natural hybrid displacement ventilation system; a solar reflecting roof; building sensors to measure energy consumption and thermal effectiveness; and a rack system called CoolFlex that encloses traditional cold aisles in the data center, completely separating the cold air supplying equipment from the hot air exhausted from the gear.
U Rhode Island Dining Facility Awarded LEED Silver
The University of Rhode Island's newest dining facility, Hope Commons, has been awarded LEED Silver certification. The structure, which cost $18 million to build, features a reflective roof coating; 75 percent local construction materials; and energy efficient lighting and food service equipment. The 42,500 square-foot building opened in August of 2007.
Aquinas College Library Receives LEED Silver Certification
The Aquinas College (MI) Grace Hauenstein Library has achieved LEED Silver certification. Green features of the renovation include low VOC adhesives, sealants, paints, carpet, padding, and particleboard; a 32 percent reduction in water use; and over 82 percent of the renovation waste was recycled.
Cornell U Opens Green Science Center
Cornell University (NY) has completed and opened Weill Hall, the University's new life sciences building. The $162 million, 265,000-square-foot building features a green roof and natural lighting, uses 30 percent less energy than comparable buildings, and is registered to receive LEED Gold certification.
Simon Fraser U Unveils Green Building
Simon Fraser University (BC) has opened Blusson Hall, a green building that will house the Faculty of Health Sciences. The $56.9-million, 12,000 square meter complex features a green roof, sustainably harvested wood products, limited use of off-gassing construction materials, storm-water collection for irrigation, radiant-floor heating, and abundant natural light. The structure has been built to exceed LEED Silver standards.
Wheaton College Breaks Ground for Green Science Center
Wheaton College (MA) has broken ground on the Center for Scientific Inquiry and Innovation. The 99,000 square-foot, $50 million project, which will include the construction of a new, three-story building and the renovation of the first floor of the existing Science Center, will feature a green roof. The structure will be registered for LEED certification.
2 Community Colleges Break Ground on Green Expansions
The Community College of Philadelphia (PA) has broken ground on its $31 million green expansion of the Northeast Regional Center. The 58,000 square-foot expansion will feature a green roof, a rainwater collection system, and a geothermal heating and cooling system. The addition is registered for LEED Silver certification. Bucks County Community College (PA) has also broken ground on a new expansion. Its addition will be registered for LEED certification and will feature a geothermal heating system, tinted and insulated windows, and a green roof. At the groundbreaking, members of the student-run Environmental Club planted a tree to commemorate the project’s concern for the natural surroundings.
U Memphis Students Construct Eco-Friendly House
The University of Memphis' (TN) Center for Sustainable Design has started construction on an eco-friendly house called TERRA, which stands for Technologically and Environmentally Responsive Residential Architecture. Involved in the project, which is funded by a grant from the FedEx Institute of Technology, are students from architecture, interior design, graphic design and photography. The house will feature solar panels, cork floors, water-saving toilets, an insulated concrete form, energy-efficient lights, and a greywater recovery system. The two-story, 1,680-square-foot house should be completed in January of 2009.
Emory & Henry College Opens Green Building
Emory & Henry College (VA) has opened the recently renovated Byars Hall, which houses the Division of Visual and Performing Arts. The LEED certified building features sustainable site development, water saving and energy efficient materials, and high indoor environmental quality.
Sierra College Opens Eco-Friendly Campus
Sierra College (CA) has opened a new 28,000 square-foot one-building campus. The new building features natural lighting and was built using recycled materials. It was designed to achieve LEED Silver certification.
UCSB Receives 'Go Beyond' Environmental Lab Award
The University of California, Santa Barbara Laboratory Research and Technical Staff (LabRATS) has received the "Go Beyond" Award, an award that honors individuals, organizations, projects, and laboratory manufacturers that "go beyond" the status quo to minimize the environmental impacts of laboratory and other high-technology facilities and laboratory equipment. The LabRATS won the award due to initiatives such as creating a free surplus chemicals website, using natural lighting in the lab, implementing fu
U Western Ontario Breaks Ground for Green Building
The University of Ontario has held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new green building at its Research and Development Park. The 75,000 square-foot office building will include natural lighting, energy efficient design, local materials and products, and recycled products. The $20-million building is designed to achieve a LEED certification. Construction is scheduled to be complete in early 2010.
Emory U Opens Green Residence Halls
Emory University (GA) has opened two new green freshman residence halls, both of which are registered for LEED Gold certification. The residence halls, which are adjoined to each other, incorporate a "Living Green: Sustainability in the 21st Century" theme and required all residents that were selected to live there to submit an application on sustainable living. Green features include a roof storm water collection system, solar panels that power water cistern pumps, regionally produced construction materi
Rush U Medical Center Breaks Ground on Green Hospital Building
The Rush University (IL) Medical Center has broken ground on its new green hospital. The new structure, which will be registered for LEED certification, will feature multiple green roofs, extensive use of recycled materials, and use of energy efficient systems for lighting, heating, and cooling. The 14-floor, $575 million, 806,000-square-foot building will house Rush's acute and critical care patients as well as surgical, diagnostic, and therapeutic services utilizing the most advanced technology available.
CSU Stanislaus Science Building Receives LEED Silver
California State University, Stanislaus' Nora and Hashem Naraghi Hall of Science has received LEED Silver certification. The 115,000-square-foot building includes laboratories, classrooms, faculty and department offices, and a roof-top observatory. The structure features program controls for heating, air conditioning, venting, and air purification systems as well as programmable light-dimming switches; recycled materials and wood products from environmentally-endorsed lumber harvesting practices; and drought-resistant landscaping and a watering system with conservation features.
Drury U Habitat for Humanity House Earns LEED Platinum
A Habitat for Humanity house designed and built by students at Drury University (MO) has received LEED Platinum certification. The house features solar panels that heat water and the radiant floor, native landscaping, rain gardens, and pervious paved surfaces.
Santa Clara U Dedicates Green Business School
Santa Clara University (CA) has dedicated Lucas Hall, a recently completed green business building on campus. The 86,000 square-foot, $49 million structure features dual-switched and motion-sensitive lights; energy-optimized heating and air conditioning; and recycled and recyclable chairs. Lucas Hall was designed with LEED guidelines in mind.
Stanford U Holds Groundbreaking for Green Business School
The Stanford University (CA) Graduate School of Business has formally broken ground on its new business school campus. The 360,000-square-foot Knight Management Center campus, which will comprise eight buildings around three quadrangles, will reduce overall water usage by at least 30 percent; exceed current energy efficiency standards by at least 40 percent; recycle or salvage 50 to 75 percent of non-hazardous construction debris; and use rainwater or re-circulated gray water to reduce potable water use for building sewage conveyance by 80 percent. Stanford plans to seek LEED Platinum certification for the new school.
UC Irvine Breaks Ground on Green Student Housing
The University of California, Irvine has broken ground on its new $221 million green student housing project. The structure, which will include 1,763 new undergraduate and graduate beds, has been designed to optimize energy and water efficiencies; reduce light pollution, waste water and construction waste, and utilize regional materials. The building has been designed to meet LEED Gold certification and will open in the fall of 2010.
U Hawaii Hilo to Open Green Student Center
The University of Hawaii at Hilo will open its new Student Life Center in October. The structure, which has been built with the goal to achieve a LEED Gold rating, features skylights and dormers that allow for natural lighting, bicycle racks that will accommodate up to 20 bikes at once, and landscaping that will utilize native or adapted species which require no irrigation. Additionally, the project has reused 17 tons of scrap drywall.
U Victoria Building Receives LEED Gold
The University of Victoria Engineering/Computer Science (ESC) Building has received LEED Gold certification. The 8,975 square-meter, $25-million ECS building features a dual plumbing system that uses recycled water from the nearby outdoor aquatic research facility, a partial green roof planted with natural grasses, natural landscaping to promote storm water retention, and extensive use of recycled materials. Additionally, the building uses a heat recovery system from re-circulated waste water, has showers for cyclists and pedestrians, bike parking and bike lockers, and low-flow toilets and faucets. The building opened in October 2006.
Eastern Connecticut State U to Open Green Science Building
Eastern Connecticut State University will soon open a new 173,000 square-foot science building. The $46 million building has applied for LEED Sliver certification. The building features day-lighting, a gray water capture system for flushing toilets and a recycling system for rain water.
Susquehanna U Breaks Ground on Green Science Building
Susquehanna University (PA) has begun construction of a new $33 million science building. When it opens in 2010, the new 75,000-square-foot facility will feature the use of recycled materials in construction, an energy-efficient HVAC system, water-reduction capabilities, daylight harvesting, and a rooftop greenhouse.
U Cincinnati, Gallaudet U Open Green Buildings
The University of Cincinnati (OH) has opened its Center for Academic Research Excellence/Crawley Building. The $205 million and 240,000 square foot building was designed to LEED Silver certification specifications. The Gallaudet University (DC) has also opened a new $28 million green classroom building. The University hopes that the James Lee Sorenson Language and Communication Center, which was designed by and for deaf people, will receive LEED certification.
U Denver Opens Green Residence Hall
The University of Denver (CO) has opened a 356 bed, $39.8 million green residence hall. Green features of Nagel Hall include a bicycle storage unit complete with shower and bathroom facilities, energy efficient refrigerators and microwaves, and dual flush toilets.
U Pennsylvania to Hold Groundbreaking for Green Building
The University of Pennsylvania will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for a new green building on campus, the Horticulture Center Complex. The Complex is slated to achieve LEED Platinum certification. The 20,840-square-foot facility will feature an efficient ground-source heat pump, a green roof, photovoltaic panels, and photocell sensors to automatically dim the electric lights in use on bright days to reduce energy use.
U Texas Arlington to Hold Groundbreaking for Green Building
The University of Texas at Arlington will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Engineering Research Complex. The building will make extensive use of daylighting, have 40 percent of its roof covered in plants, capture up to 48,000 gallons of rainwater in underground tanks for use in landscape irrigation, and use landscaping that requires little water. The University expects the building to achieve LEED Silver certification.
Ithaca College School of Business Receives LEED Platinum
The Ithaca College (NY) School of Business has received LEED Platinum certification. The 38,800 square foot Dorothy D. and Roy H. Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise, which opened with the start of the spring 2008 semester, features a vegetated roof, a south-facing wall of glass, extensive us of natural lighting, and a storm water reclamation system. Ithaca College purchases 50 percent of the electricity used for the building from renewable sources. The building received 56 points in the LEED certification system.
Park U Opens Green Residence Hall
Park University (MO) has officially opened Copley Quad Student Residence Hall, an 86,000 square feet building designed to LEED Silver standards. The design incorporates recycled content carpets, carpet pads, and underlayments. Plumbing in the building uses low-flow fixtures, with a projected water reduction of 40 percent compared with similar buildings.
Rochester Institute of Technology Building Receives LEED Gold
The Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) College of Applied Science and Technology building has received LEED Gold certification. The 43,000 square-foot building, which opened in April, features rainwater reuse systems, lighting and climate control systems, and a curriculum that uses the building as a teaching tool.
Saint Xavier U Opens Green Residence Hall
Saint Xavier University (IL) has opened a new green residence hall. The 36,664 square-foot building was built with the goal of achieving LEED Gold certification. The new hall was designed to use both natural and mechanical ventilation, and a 50-foot high circular glass stair tower draws tempered air to assist in summer night pre-cooling and winter heating. The structure also features solar panels on the roof and a rain garden that filters roof water runoff. In addition, 100 percent of its power comes from a mixture of renewable energy sources and carbon offsets.
Suffolk U Residence Hall Earns LEED Gold
Suffolk University's (MA) 10 West Residence Hall has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The renovated building features low-flow plumbing fixtures, a bike storage room, EnergyStar products, and low-emitting materials such as carpets, sealants, and paints. The Residence Hall also contains signage that informs occupants and visitors of its green features.
U Illinois Urbana-Champaign Opens Green Business Building
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has opened its Business Instructional Facility, a building that features solar panels, a green roof, and an energy-efficient heating and cooling system. The University is seeking LEED Platinum or Gold certification.
Wilson Community College Opens Green Student Center
Wilson Community College (NC) has opened its eco-friendly Student Center. The building features a ground source heat pump for heating, a light-colored roof, and energy efficient windows and insulation. WCC hopes to achieve LEED Gold certification for the new building.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Opens Green Residence Hall
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA) has opened its new green, 232-bed, apartment-style student residence hall. Temporarily named East Hall, the new residence hall features a green roof, a large number of windows to maximize the amount of natural light, dedicated storage for bikes, and 12 parking spaces reserved for hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles. WPI hopes the new dormitory will achieve LEED Gold certification.
Harford Community College Building Receives LEED Silver
Harford Community College’s (MD) renovation of Joppa Hall has achieved LEED Silver certification. As a result of the LEED principles used in the renovation, Joppa Hall has reduced its energy consumption by 30%. Green features include a storm water management system that removes pollutants from the building and parking lot runoff; three green roofs; secure bike storage and changing/shower facilities; and designated carpool parking spaces. Additionally, 75 percent of the construction waste was recycled, healthy indoor air quality was carefully maintained during construction, and low VOC products were used.
