UI business structure among elite for sustainability
Business Instructional Facility gets top rating for sustainable features
By Julie Wurth
Thursday, December 10, 2009
CHAMPAIGN – A state-of-the-art business building at the University of Illinois just won the world's most prestigious honor for sustainable design – even without the new green parking spaces.
The Business Instructional Facility, which opened last year, was awarded platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, rating system, the standard for sustainability in construction.
Only 12 public university buildings in the country have earned LEED platinum status, the highest rating in the four-tiered scale, according to the UI. And just one other university business facility is LEED platinum, at Hofstra University, a private institution, the UI says. Fewer than 300 buildings worldwide have achieved the top LEED standard, including just 14 in Illinois.
Designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, the four-story, $60 million UI building won raves for its sustainable features, such as solar panels that provide 8 percent of its power and a "green" roof with plantings that provide insulation and reduce water runoff.
But it was the building's "hidden treasures" that garnered the most points – the super-efficient heating and cooling system, sensors that determine temperatures and light level, triple-pane windows and the extensive use of natural light, said Tracy McCabe, College of Business assistant dean for external and alumni affairs. A soaring atrium features a wall of four-story windows, and 99 percent of the habitable spaces have natural light, he said.
"The marvel is in its efficiency, but also in the way it was constructed," McCabe said.
It was built with materials available within a 500-mile radius, cutting down on transportation emissions. Contractors recycled 75 percent of the leftover construction materials, reducing waste, he said.
Stanley Ikenberry, interim UI president-designate, said environmentally friendly construction is healthy, energy-efficient and consistent with the UI's public research mission.
"This will be the green standard by which we measure all future building construction and renovation on our three campuses," Ikenberry said in a release.
UI officials estimate the building will use 50 percent less energy, cutting utility costs by up to $300,000 a year compared with traditional classroom buildings on campus. They're running calculations, but "it uses significantly less energy than other campus buildings," said Tom Abram, sustainability coordinator for the UI Office of Facilities and Services.
"It's our first effort at building green on campus, and it's going to stand as a benchmark for future efforts," Abram said. Any major new UI building or renovation project is required to meet LEED silver standards, and "this will show that we can actually achieve even higher ratings if we actually work at it."
The Green Building Council's efforts to promote earth-friendly construction were still in their infancy when planning for the building began in 2003, said Avijit Ghosh, then dean of the College of Business. The college wanted the building to "reflect the values of social and professional responsibilities that we teach our students," said Ghosh, now UI vice president for technology and economic development.
The building was funded by private gifts and a mortgage secured by the College of Business. No state money was used for construction.
The challenge now, according to College of Business Dean Larry DeBrock, is to maximize the building's potential and change behavior to promote a green lifestyle on campus.
The campus this month created six new "green-friendly" preferred parking spaces just west of the building and five others in a nearby lot next to the College of Education.
Anyone who has a permit to park in those respective lots can use the spaces if they have low-emission and fuel-efficient vehicles, Abram said. About 475 car models qualify under a list provided by the Green Building Council, Abram said.
"You don't get to switch lots because of it, or you don't get to park if you didn't have a spot there before," he said.
Feedback so far shows most employees support the idea, Abram said, although some drivers whose vehicles don't qualify were worried about being ticketed if no other spaces were open and they were forced to park there.
UI officials are asking drivers to respect the criteria, but no one's being ticketed, Abram said. They want to see how the pilot program works before possibly expanding it to other parts of campus, he added.
On Wednesday, one of the 11 spots was vacant, and all but two appeared to be on the approved list – a Dodge Stratus and Buick Park Avenue.
"It does seem like people are respecting it," Abram said.
The hope was that the green parking program would add points to the Business Instructional Facility's LEED total, but in the end it didn't factor into the rating, McCabe said.
Still, Abram said, "we think it's a good thing to be doing."
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