Georgia Institute of Technology recently installed its 2007 Solar Decathlon House on campus to be used as a classroom. The house will be used for education and research about solar power and other forms of sustainability energy for students in architecture, engineering, sciences, and management. The structure is on display for public viewing, but is still a work in progress for Georgia Tech students.

Unity College (ME) recently announced that it will soon build a sustainable house on campus that will serve as a single family residence for the president of the University, an on-campus meeting and entertaining space, as well as a classroom. Designed for "Net-Zero" energy use, the 1,930-square-foot 'Unity House' will achieve LEED Platinum standards, feature a photovoltaic solar panel array, and be a living classroom for college students. The house will be the second completed structure of the OPEN Protot

Iowa State University was recently awarded LEED Silver certification for Morrill Hall, a 115 year old building that received $10 million in renovations. 27 percent of construction materials were manufactured within 500 miles of the building, 88 percent of the building's structure and shell were kept and rehabilitated, and 18 percent of the new construction materials contained recycled materials. Morrill Hall is the first building at ISU to receive green building certification.

Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) recently dedicated its new College of Applied Science and Technology building, RIT's first green structure on campus. The building collects rainwater from the roof and uses the water to flush toilets in the restrooms, reduces energy use by approximately 21 percent, and has a 300 square foot green roof.

The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, Clearfield campus recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new academic building. Plans for the building features design elements that permit high standards of energy efficiency and the use of local building materials. The University plans to use 50 to 75 percent recycled building materials and incorporate other components that are environmentally friendly. The University hopes to receive LEED Silver certification for the new building.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex recently received LEED Silver certification. The building features gray-water recycling for toilets, heat recovery on the exhaust air stream, and interior finishes that impose a minimal impact on indoor air quality.

The Portland State University (OR) Biology Research Greenhouses have received LEED Silver certification. Sustainability features include: on-site treatment of all runoff from the roof before it enters the city's stormwater system; flow-through planters populated with native plants that are watered with rainwater; a driveway that is made of permeable pavers; and a covered patio that is enclosed by bamboo fencing. Inside the greenhouses, the lumber used for cabinets and counters is Forest Stewardship Council certified. The certification is for Phase 1 of a two-phase project of ten modular interconnected greenhouses.

The University of California, Merced Classroom and Office Building has received LEED Gold certification. The building, which is one of the primary classroom buildings, is the third on campus to receive LEED Gold certification.

The University of Wisconsin Superior recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new student center building which will feature energy efficient design, a green roof, and rainwater collection. The University hopes that the building will achieve LEED certification. The building will house student dining services, the campus bookstore, offices for student organizations and university staff, an art gallery, meeting areas and lounges. It is expected to be complete by August 2009.

The National Research Council Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation, located on the campus of the University of British Columbia, has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The building features a ground source heat pump to provide natural-source heating and cooling, a 5KW solid oxide fuel cell system powered by natural gas and a photovoltaic array to capture energy from sunlight. UBC officials anticipate a 34 percent energy usage savings, which amounts to an annual reduction of 184 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. The centre also promotes alternative transportation options through easy access to public transportation, bicycle storage stalls, and shower facilities. There is also a hydrogen refueling station and parking spaces for car or van-pools.

The St. Louis Community College (MO) Wildwood campus building was recently awarded LEED Gold certification. The 75,000 square foot facility features T-shaped windows that allow for more natural light, parking lot plug-ins for electric cars, an east-west solar orientation to fully capitalize on sunlight for heating, cooling, and natural light, a one-quarter-acre retention pond landscape with trees, bushes, and native prairie grass, and four cisterns that can capture up to 80,000 gallons of rainwater to be used for irrigation, waterless urinals, and drought-resistant landscaping. Officials say that STLCC's Wildwood campus is the largest community college facility in the U.S. to receive LEED Gold certification.

The University of Manitoba recently announced that 13 facilities and departments will be refurbished instead of building a new campus. Project Domino, starting this summer, will restore several historic buildings over a five-year period and plans to build only one new building, the Centre for Music, Art and Design.

St. Lawrence University's (NY) Johnson Hall of Science was recently awarded LEED Gold certification. The building features passive/active solar design, energy and water conserving technologies, efficient lighting strategies, on-site recoverable energy systems, and a planning process that involved students and faculty in collaboration. In addition, the building was designed for "sustainable transition," anticipating the incorporation of 100 percent renewable technology (biofuel and photovoltaic) use in the

Stanford University (CA) recently dedicated the new Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment and Energy Building. Known as Y2E2, the new green building is said to be LEED Platinum-equivalent and uses 56 percent less energy than a typical building of its size. Y2E2 offers natural lighting, features natural ventilation for cooling, and uses 90 percent less potable water for fixtures than an equivalent building. Stanford plans to build 3 more buildings with the same goal of 50 percent reduction in energy use for each.

The Goshen College (IN) Rieth Village has been awarded LEED Platinum. Reith Village, an ecological field station for undergraduate environmental study at the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, features a passive solar design, cisterns for recycling rainwater, tulip poplar siding harvested locally, solar panels, and a wind generator. 2 cottages at the field station provide housing for up to 32 students and a third cottage serves as the initial classroom and office building.

The University of Vermont's Davis Center was recently awarded LEED Gold certification. The first student union to receive a LEED Gold rating, the Davis Center features a natural chimney that evacuates smoke in the event of a fire without the use of a mechanical system, sensors that regulate electric lighting based on the amount of daylight entering the space, and air conditioning, heating, and ventilation regulated by occupancy sensors. Other green elements include waterless urinals, a green roof, and 175 sensors to provide data to students, faculty, and staff on energy used for heating and cooling, electricity, water usage, soil moisture, content, and temperature on the green roof. This data will soon be displayed on the web as well.

The Lincoln and Edmunds buildings at Pomona College (CA) recently received LEED Gold certification. The buildings feature waterless urinals, high-efficiency lighting, water-efficient landscaping, partial bamboo flooring, and a photovoltaic system that provides 22.4% of the buildings' power.

The University College of the Fraser Valley (BC) recently opened the Trades and Technology Centre, a building that was built within the shell of an existing building using large portions of recycled material. The building also features energy-efficient electrical and mechanical systems.

R & D Magazine recently published an article highlighting green design as a trend in laboratory designs over the past year. Three quarters of entrants in the 2007 Lab of the Year competition mentioned green design in their applications, indicating that many submitters now believe a project must display at least some sustainable strategies to have a chance at winning an award. The article gave examples from laboratories at Arizona State University, SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Geneseo, the University of Washington, and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Mount St. Mary's University (MD) recently dedicated Bicentennial Hall, a green residence hall that celebrates the University's 200th year. Completed in January, the building features passive solar energy systems, geothermal heating and cooling, and recycled carpet tiles.

Two recently constructed buildings at the University of Maine at Farmington were awarded LEED certification. The Education Center was awarded LEED Silver and was designed to serve as an ecological teaching tool for UMF students, K-12 students, practicing teachers and the region. Green components of the building include 42 geothermal wells, a high-performance thermal envelope, and window glazing to decrease heat loss in the winter and reduce cool air loss in the summer. Additional green features include the use of construction materials with recycled content, interior materials and furnishings that do not emit indoor pollutants and a sustainable landscape design. The Frances Allen Black Hall, a residence hall on campus, received LEED Certified status. The hall qualified for this distinction based on a number of green features including, developing the building site with the least amount of environmental impact, using over 10 percent recycled construction materials and nearly 35 percent locally available construction materials, and increasing thermal efficiency by approximately 25% by using continuous rigid insulation on the building's exterior.

El Camino Community College (CA) recently opened a new green humanities building. The 83,900-square-foot facility features natural day lighting, sun shades and other steps to reduce heat gain, recycled flooring materials, and a white roof.

Northern Arizona University's Applied Research and Development Building has achieved LEED Platinum certification, earning 60 out of 69 points possible. The 59,821 square-foot building features a photovoltaic solar power system that provides a minimum of 20% of its electricity, automatic shade controls, venting windows, and an enthalpy wheel, which regulates the building's temperatures. About 30% of the building's supplies are from recycled materials, 57% are from local producers or manufacturers, and the wood used was sustainable harvested from a renewable forest-management system. Additionally, the building's conference unit has a green roof, and the parking lot is made of pervious concrete, which allows water to be captured in natural aquifers to be used for irrigation purposes.

Ohlone College (CA) recently opened a newly constructed green campus. The campus, which hopes to achieve LEED Platinum certification, features solar energy co-generation that will supply up to 42% of the building's energy needs, geothermal ground coils, enthalpy wheels, storm water filtering, wetlands restoration, and indoor water-saving fixtures.

Emerson College's (MA) new 14-story residence hall and campus center has received LEED certification. The building promotes density, is located on a redeveloped urban site, uses reduced-flow fixtures, provides maximum daylight to all of the living spaces, and was built with significant amounts of recycled and regionally-manufactured materials.

Ohio State University recently opened the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau Ohio 4-H Center, a building that was designed to achieve LEED certification. The first "green" building on campus, the 4-H center features a geothermal heating and cooling system, recycled building materials, natural lighting, a bicycle storage area and showers, and a highly reflective white membrane roof which makes the building easier to cool in during the summer months.

Mills College's (CA) new Natural Sciences Building has received LEED Platinum certification. The $17 million, 26,000 square-foot facility is almost 90 percent more energy efficient than a typical lab in the Bay Area and 45 percent more energy efficient than required by state law. Sustainability features include: recycled carpeting; automatic sensors to switch lights on or off; tall windows to increase the depth of natural light and decrease the use of artificial lights; energy efficient glass windows; and photovoltaic panels on the roof that provide 30 percent of the building's electrical needs. The building also has a rainwater collection system that collects up to 60,000 gallons of water a year to be used for flushing toilets.