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.
U Illinois at Chicago Renovation to Seek LEED Gold
The University of Illinois at Chicago has reopened Douglas Hall after a one-year, $11.7 million renovation that will seek LEED Gold certification. Now home to the College of Business Administration, the building features geothermal wells, solar panels, automated interior lights, water savers and automated cooling/heating. The project was funded by student fees and gifts from individual and corporate donors.
Centennial College Debuts Green Library
Centennial College (ON) has debuted its new environmentally conscious library and academic facility. The $52.5 million project was designed and built to LEED Gold certification standards. Sustainable features include a graywater recycling system, green roof and a biowall of live plants that can remove indoor airborne contaminants.
Colorado State U Research Center Earns LEED Gold
Colorado State University’s 60,000-square-foot Research Innovation Center has earned LEED Gold certification. The design incorporates solutions that increase the energy performance of the building and lower operating costs by 42 percent. Low-flow faucets and toilets reduce the building’s water use by 38 percent, native species cut irrigation water consumption by 90 percent and low-emitting carpets and paints were used to ensure a high standard of indoor air quality. The building also hosts a 54-kilowatt solar array that provides about 6 percent of its electrical load.
Georgia Tech Reveals New Green Classroom Building
Georgia Institute of Technology has unveiled a new sustainably designed academic classroom facility. The 220,000-square-foot building features an underground cistern containing 700,000 gallons for graywater recirculation and irrigation, and 300,000 gallons for stormwater detention. Other sustainable design features include a solar photovoltaic farm and solar hot water system, green roof, passive solar design, locally sourced construction materials and radiant floor heating. More than 95 percent of construction waste was diverted from the landfill.
Northern Kentucky U Unveils First Green Building
Northern Kentucky University is getting ready to open the doors of its first building designed to meet LEED certification. The Digitorium features efficient lighting and plumbing, local construction materials and a green roof that covers 23 percent of the total building roof area. The facility is scheduled to open in October.
SUNY ESF Opens New Environmentally Friendly Residence Hall
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry has constructed its first residence hall with a focus on sustainability. Centennial Hall, designed to meet LEED Silver standards, will reduce its impact on the environment through the use of stormwater management techniques, sustainable building materials, landscaping that includes native plants and a limited need to mow, extensive indoor bicycling storage facilities and a pedestrian-friendly design. The college also partnered with a local company that specifically designed furniture using red maple harvested from sustainably managed forests.
Ecotech Institute Receives LEED Gold
The Ecotech Institute (CO), which opened its doors early this year, has received LEED Gold certification. The institute has 12 rooftop solar panels and eight small wind turbines. Other environmentally conscious features include energy-efficient lighting, monitoring of campus energy consumption and low-flow fixtures. The campus also includes four electric car-charging stations.
Ferris State U Student Housing Receives LEED Gold
Ferris State University's (MI) East Campus Suites has received LEED Gold certification. The student housing buildings feature green design and construction efforts including a 30 percent reduction in water use, 18 percent reduction in energy use and the diversion of more than 90 percent of construction waste from landfills.
Guam CC Resource Center Earns LEED Gold
Guam Community College’s Learning Resource Center has achieved LEED Gold certification. The 22,000-square-foot building features photovoltaic solar panels, digital temperature controls, energy-efficient windows, and lighting, asphalt and furniture made from recycled materials. The majority of construction waste was diverted from the landfill.
Boston U Seeks LEED Certification with Remodeled Campus Residence
Boston University is expecting its first LEED certification for a residence with its remodeled St. Mary's faculty and staff apartment complex. The 13,700-square-foot building, which was stripped down to its rafters, studs and floorboards, will seek LEED Gold certification. Sustainable features of the $3.5 million renovation include a tankless water heater, bamboo flooring, energy-efficient lighting, individually metered units and countertops made with at least 80 percent recycled materials like glass and metal.
Linfield College Library Renovation to Reduce Energy Use by 30%
With the recent renovation of its historic library building, Linfield College (OR) expects to decrease the building's energy use by 30 percent. Built in 1936, the library offered inadequate space to install a modern heating and cooling system. The college selected radiant ceiling panels for both heating and cooling.
Salisbury U Receives First LEED Gold with Renovation
The renovation of Salisbury University’s (MD) Pocomoke Hall has achieved the university’s first LEED Gold certification. More than 15.8 percent of building materials were sourced and manufactured within 500 miles of the construction site and 22 percent were made from recycled materials. Approximately 75 percent of construction waste was diverted from landfills and 67 percent of the wood used in the building was from Forest Stewardship Council-certified products.
U Kentucky Earns First LEED Certification
The University of Kentucky has earned its first LEED certification with the recent LEED Gold certification of its Davis Marksbury building. Part of its College of Engineering's Digital Village, the three-story, 45,014-square-foot building includes photovoltaic collectors on the roof to convert sunlight into electrical power to help serve the building and provide research opportunities.
Western Oregon U Building Earns LEED Platinum
Western Oregon University’s Ackerman Hall has achieved LEED Platinum certification. The 91,000-square-foot facility mixes both scholastic and housing programs into a single community on university grounds. Rooftop solar thermal panels preheat water and air for use in the facility, resulting in a 50 percent reduction in potable water usage and 35 percent reduction in energy consumption. Other sustainable features include energy monitoring systems, low-flow plumbing fixtures, a rainwater harvest system, permeable paving and passive solar design.
Bridgewater College Debuts Sustainable Residence Hall
Bridgewater College (VA) has debuted a new green student residence hall that will seek LEED Silver certification. Some of its environmentally responsible features include reduced stormwater runoff, recycled building materials, insulation composed of renewable materials, occupancy sensor lights and low volatile interior paints and adhesives. Twenty percent of all materials used during construction were made or harvested within 500 miles.
Harvard U Earns 50th LEED Certification
Harvard University (MA) has become the first higher education institution to achieve its 50th LEED certification. The green building milestone includes six platinum-level projects and represents more than 1.5 million square feet of labs, dormitories, libraries, classrooms and offices. An additional 3 million square feet of space is registered and pursuing LEED certification. In April, the university announced a 10 percent decline in the university’s overall greenhouse gas emissions reflecting energy supply improvements, efficiency measures and the engagement of faculty, staff and students in activities designed to transform behavior.
Saginaw Valley State U Hall Earns LEED Silver
Saginaw Valley State University’s (MI) Pioneer Hall has earned LEED Silver certification. Sustainable features of the $16 million renovation include high-performance glass for optimized energy performance and thermal comfort, regionally manufactured materials and passive solar design.
U Maryland Eastern Shore Renovation Earns LEED Gold
The renovation of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore's Somerset Hall, a 60-year-old former dormitory that is now the campus' most energy-efficient building, has received LEED Gold certification. Renovations to the building, which now houses the pharmacy school, were designed and built to consume less energy. Sustainable features include housekeeping products that are recyclable and non-toxic, designated parking spaces for electric and hybrid cars, and bicycle racks.
Winona State U Plans Sustainability Theme House
If approved by the Winona City Council, Winona State University (MN) plans to build a pilot theme house dedicated to sustainability. Ten students with similar interest and studies in sustainability will live together in the university-owned house. If the university can demonstrate that the pilot house is successful, it plans to implement more theme houses in the future. University officials describe the pilot project as a compromise solution to concerns that have been raised as the city works through the process.
2 Wake Forest U Buildings Awarded LEED Gold
Wake Forest University (NC) has achieved LEED Gold status with its new Welcome Center. Sustainable features of the building include low-VOC materials used throughout the interior of the space; regionally sourced materials; Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood; repurposed materials; and nearly 90 percent of the waste generated during construction was diverted from the landfill for recycling. The university's newest residence hall was also awarded LEED Gold certification.
Blackfeet CC Tribal Building Earns LEED Platinum
Blackfeet Community College’s (MT) new math and science building has been awarded LEED Platinum certification. The $5 million, 13,000-square-foot building has increased energy efficiency by 57 percent compared to minimum standards. Sustainable features include passive solar design, insulated glass, computer-controlled heating, low-flow plumbing fixtures and minimal pollutants in cabinetry and finishes. The college also diverted 83 percent of construction waste from the landfill.
DePaul U Debuts Eco Friendly Art Museum
DePaul University (IL) has applied for LEED Silver certification for its new $7.8 million art museum. The 15,200-square-foot building was designed to incorporate a variety of energy-efficient features including a green roof, reflective roof coatings, proximity to public transportation, water-efficient landscaping, stormwater system design and energy-efficient heating, cooling and ventilation. The museum will open to the public in September.
North Dakota State College of Science Earns LEED Certification
The renovation to the 75-year-old North Dakota State College of Science’s Horton Hall has earned LEED certification. The building’s certification was based on a number of sustainable design and construction features including passive solar design, high performance glazing, improved insulation, solar thermal hot water, low-flow plumbing fixtures and energy-efficient lighting. The university system has also adopted an integrated green building education program.
Rock Valley College Science Center Pursues LEED Gold
Rock Valley College (IL) is preparing to open its newest green building, the 106,000-square-foot Center for Science and Math. Designed to meet LEED Gold standards, the college has implemented numerous strategies to reduce the energy consumption of its new facility. Sustainable features include passive solar design, a closed loop geothermal system, chill beam cooling system and solar panels.
U North Texas Dallas Building Earns LEED Gold
A new building at the University of North Texas at Dallas has achieved LEED Gold certification. The $43 million, 102,000-square-foot building features high-efficiency mechanical controls, a vegetative roof equipped with drains to collect rainwater for irrigation, and solar panels. The building also maximizes the use of natural light through large windows and skylights.
U Pacific Technology Center Awarded LEED Gold
The University of the Pacific’s (CA) John T. Chambers Technology Center has achieved LEED Gold certification. The 24,500-square-foot building is the first LEED certification for the university. Sustainable features include 100 percent non-potable water in surrounding irrigation, bicycle racks, low-flow water fixtures, native plants in the surrounding landscape, reflective glass to reduce the need for cooling and low-reflective materials on the roof. The building is also the university’s first structure to have solar panels.
