Case Western Reserve U Residence Hall Earns LEED Silver
Case Western Reserve University's (OH) Village at 115 residence hall complex has received LEED Silver certification. The residence hall, which opened in 2005, features efficient heating, lighting, and water systems; energy-efficient windows, walls, and roof systems; and recycled and regionally manufactured building materials. The structure uses 40 percent less energy annually than a similar conventional building.
Dickinson College Science Complex Receives LEED Gold
The Dickinson College (PA) Rector Science Complex, Stuart and James halls, have achieved LEED Gold certification. Completed last spring, Stuart and James halls feature a 30 percent reduction in water use, high-efficiency windows, exterior sun shading, interior light harvesting, occupancy sensors, and interior sunshades. The 90,000-square-foot building also contains four enthalpy heat wheel recovery mechanical systems.
U Georgia Plans 'World’s Most Sustainable Teaching & Research Lab'
The University of Georgia has begun planning what it anticipates will be the "World’s most Sustainable Teaching and Research Laboratory." The building, which will house the Odum School of Ecology, is being designed with the following elements in mind: pedagogy, biodiversity, livability, energy, water, and nutrient cycling. The building will feature indoor greenhouses, terrariums, aquariums, and eco-machines for wetland ecologies; rainwater collected from the roof and purified water from the eco-machine will feed the stream and be used for on-site irrigation; and a green roof will be planted in conjunction with lab curriculum to attract desired species. In addition, the structure is designed to face solar south, 100 percent of all interior spaces will be naturally daylit, and solar panels will be the primary energy source for the school.
Agnes Scott College Receives 2 Green Building Grants
Agnes Scott College (GA) has received an $80,000 grant from the Kresge Foundation Green Building Initiative to fund the renovation of Campbell Hall, the College's former science building, to the highest level of green building possible and to its optimal purpose. Agnes Scott also received a grant from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta’s "Grants to Green" program, which will help fund the evaluation of the energy and water efficiency of the Robert W. Woodruff Physical Activities Building.
Drew U Opens Green Dorm
Drew University (NJ) has opened McLendon Hall dormitory, a new green building on campus. The structure, which will house 159 students, features a geothermal heating and cooling system, drought-resistant landscaping, light sensors, water saving showers and sinks, and carpeting and floor tiles made from recycled materials. The University is seeking LEED certification for the new structure.
Furman U Receives Award for Green Showcase Home
Furman University (SC) has received the Creative Partnership Award from District III of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in recognition of the partnership that led to the construction of the Cliffs Cottage, an on campus showcase home that features sustainable building materials and energy-saving systems. The award recognizes the partnership projects between private businesses/organizations and educational institutions that result in creative solutions to advancement issues. Only one award is given annually.
Madonna U Receives Grant for Green Science & Media Building
Madonna University (MI) has received a $1.5 million challenge grant from The Kresge Foundation to support construction of its environmentally-friendly, $20 million Science and Media Building. To meet the challenge, Madonna will raise $3.25 million by January 2010, as part of the University’s Leading the Way Capital Campaign. The 60,000-square-foot building features recycled materials, energy efficient windows and lighting, and a green roof. The University plans to seek LEED certification for the new structure.
Warren Wilson College Res Hall Receives LEED Gold
Warren Wilson College's (NC) Village North residence hall has received LEED Gold certification. The new building features radiant floor heating, dual flush toilets, green cleaning products, Energy Star appliances, and a passive solar design. In addition, 20 percent of the building materials were from a 500-mile radius.
Catholic U Opens Green Residence Hall
Catholic University (DC) has opened Opus Hall, a seven-story green residence hall. The 127,000-square-foot, 402-bed structure features low VOC emitting materials, renewable interior finishes, enhanced daylight views, and energy-efficient and locally obtained insulated precast. In addition, a portion of the construction waste was recycled.
DePaul U Opens Green Science Building
DePaul University (IL) has opened the Monsignor Andrew J. McGowan Science Building, a $40 million green science education building. The 130,000-square-foot structure features high-reflective materials used in roofing and pavement fabrication, a green roof with two greenhouses and a planted garden, heat recovery systems, regional materials, and a water-efficient landscape. DePaul hopes to achieve LEED Silver or Gold certification for the new building.
Grand Rapids CC Installs Green Roof
Grand Rapids Community College (MI) has installed a two level green roof on its Advanced Technology Center. The first level features a dining area and an herb garden for the school's culinary institute and the second level includes an outdoor observation deck. Both levels feature signage that lists how the roof works, plant names, bloom times, and benefits of green roofs.
MUM Sustainable Living Center Receives Kresge Foundation Grant
The Maharishi University of Management (IA) has received a $50,000 grant from the Kresge Foundation Green Building Initiative to help plan the Sustainable Living Center on campus. Construction for the Sustainable Living Center is already underway, and the structure is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2009.
Plymouth State U Residence Hall Wins Award for Green Design
Plymouth State University’s (NH) newest residential life building, Langdon Woods, has earned the Judges’ Choice recipient in the ”˜Building as a Teaching Tool’ category in College Planning and Management’s ”˜2008 Green Education Design Showcase.’ The award is published in the November 2008 editions of both "College Planning and Management" and "School Planning and Management." The judges noted that because of Langdon Woods environmental sustainability features, it is more than a campus building. Langdon Woods is also a LEED Gold certified building.
Saint Xavier U Res Hall Receives LEED Gold
Saint Xavier University's (IL) Agatha O'Brien Hall has received LEED Gold certification. The new 36,664-square-foot residence hall features natural and mechanical ventilation, a 50-foot high circular glass stair tower that draws tempered air to assist in summer night pre-cooling and winter heating, and a solar reflection system on the roof. In addition, 100 percent of the building's energy use is being offset by renewable energy sources.
U Hawaii at Manoa Medical School Receives LEED Certification
The John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa has received LEED certification. The building features low-flow fixtures, occupant sensors, green cleaning products, and light shelves over windows that reflect sunlight inside the building.
Eastern Mennonite U to Build Green Residence Hall
Eastern Mennonite University (VA) has announced plans to construct a new green residence hall on campus. The $6.5 million building will seek LEED Silver certification. The 120 bed facility will open in the fall of 2009.
Emory U Breaks Ground for Green Bookstore & Admissions Office
Emory University (GA) has started construction on a new three story, 58,000 square foot building. The facility will contain admissions offices and a new bookstore. The structure, which is being built in accordance with LEED certification standards, will feature native vegetation walls and a green courtyard.
Emory U to Build Green Science and Math Center
Emory University (GA) has announced plans to build a $35 million Science and Mathematics Building at Oxford College. The building has been designed to meet LEED certification standards. Green features will include: an on-site wetland, outdoor classroom seating, a green roof, and natural lighting.
Harvard U Unveils Green Housing Complex
Harvard University (MA) has unveiled a new green housing complex for graduate students. The 115,000 square foot building is expected to receive LEED certification. Green features of the 215 bed residence include regionally-sourced siding with recycled content, renewable bamboo flooring and wall paneling, and low-VOC finishes.
Suffolk U to Renovate Theatre for Student Housing
Suffolk University (MA) has announced plans to restore and renovate a theatre constructed in the 1800s. The Modern Theatre Project will include a new 184-seat theater, a 197 bed residence hall, and gallery space. The University has designed the building to achieve LEED certification.
Eastern Michigan U Breaks Ground for Green Science Building
Eastern Michigan University has broken ground for the 72,000 square foot addition to the Mark Jefferson Building, which will be undergoing a renovation as well. Green features to the new science addition will include a mechanical system that will reduce energy consumption, a green roof, and a rain garden.
Kwantlen Polytechnic U Building Receives LEED Gold
Kwantlen Polytechnic University's (BC) Cloverdale Campus has received LEED Gold certification. The $42.3-million, 17,203-sq. meter building accommodates up to 900 full-time students and contains 21 shops, 27 classrooms/labs, and additional space dedicated to computer labs, student services, a bookstore, a cafeteria, study lounges, and a library. The trades and technology training facility features low-flow toilets, waterless urinals, and sensor-controlled faucets, and 87 percent of the waste generated during construction was recycled. In addition, the placement and positioning of the building optimizes the energy performance of the campus by allowing more natural light.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy Res Hall Earns LEED Gold
A cadet residence hall at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy has been awarded LEED Gold certification. Sustainable design elements include on-site energy production, operable occupancy sensors, energy-efficient lighting, abundant daylighting, a high percentage of recycled content materials, and plumbing fixtures that have reduced domestic water use by 48%. Energy for the building comes from an on-site wind turbine, a rooftop photovoltaic array, and natural gas-powered cogeneration turbines.
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
