A new classroom building on the Emory University campus in Atlanta recently received a Gold rating from the USGBC, making it the fifth building at the school to do so, according to a recent article.

The 101,920 square foot Goizueta Foundation Center, part of the university’s Goizueta School of Business, shares many of the characteristics common to other LEED-certified buildings on the Emory campus. These include high-efficiency insulation and HVAC systems, as well as low-flow plumbing fixtures, the article said. Additionally, the Goizueta building earned a point for recycling a portion of its construction waste, the first on the campus to do so. It is also the first to feature the inclusion of a cistern dedicated to the collection of rainwater, to irrigate the building’s landscaping. 

Altogether, the building’s sustainable features help reduce water consumption by 20 percent, and energy use by 36 percent. Fifty percent of building material used in the facility’s construction was made from recycled content. To reduce site disturbance, the building was sited to avoid cutting down a significant stand of mature trees, as well.

The building was constructed in 2005 as a supplement to the facilities of the Goizueta Business School, which holds the distinction of being the first academic building in the country to earn a Gold certification under the auspices of LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB). The facility was designed by Boston architectural firm Kallmann, McKinnell, and Wood.

Emory boasts one of the largest inventories by square footage of LEED-certified building space among American university campuses, according to the article.

---Chris Timmerman
Contributing Writer
Green Education Services
www.greenedu.com