The University was notified this month by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) that the new facility has been awarded a “Silver” rating through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program which rates buildings for their environmentally friendly features. The new rating award comes on the heels of the University’s “Green Rating” by The Princeton Review developed in partnership with ecoAmerica, a Washington, D.C.-based environmental organization. It is the first building in Stanislaus County to achieve a LEED rating.
“Four to five years of planning and documentation as part of a great cooperative effort with faculty who championed this, and a contractor who understood the importance to the environment, went into making it the University’s first building with a green rating,” said Melody Maffei, Director of Facilities Design & Construction, who kept the bid for a national environmental rating on the right track. “It demonstrates a commitment by CSU Stanislaus to lead the way in this region with projects that help provide for a sustainable future.”
News of the silver rating upgrade from a LEED certification comes as exciting news to CSU Stanislaus. The three-story, 115,000-square-foot building built by S.J. Amoroso Construction of Redwood Shores includes laboratories, classrooms, faculty and department offices, a roof-top observatory, as well as a number of environmentally friendly features.
- Sophisticated 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. For example, the metal exterior cover of the building is made from recycled materials.
- Specially designed window areas that let in more light to reduce electrical lighting requirements. Special building shading features were installed to cut down on window glare. Roofing material is designed to reflect heat.
- Low-emission paints, carpets, adhesives, wall boards, and composite wood.
- Low-flow water faucets and bathroom fixtures.
- Drought-resistant landscaping and a watering system with conservation features.
- A designated open green space area as part of the adjoining BioAg field study site.
- A shower and changing area next to a bicycle parking site to encourage more staff and students to ride bicycles to the University rather than driving vehicles.
- Construction waste products, including cement, steel, and other materials were recycled.