The organizations behind the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment — of which Wagner College is a signatory — were recently given the prestigious U.S. Green Building Council Leadership Award for nonprofits as recognition of their vision, leadership, and commitment to the evolution of green building design and construction by working with higher education.
The award was given on Nov. 13 at the annual U.S. Green Building Council's Greenbuild Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
“Those receiving this year's awards are among the most influential green building leaders in the country. [Their] achievements are bedrock to our mission of transforming the built environment,” said Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC president and CEO.
Foundation Hall, Wagner College’s new residence hall, has many elements of sustainable design incorporated into its structure. While not specifically designed to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified by the USGBC, Foundation Hall nonetheless utilizes practices, materials and building components that would qualify for rating points by the USGBC. Specific areas of sustainable and environmentally friendly design include the following:
- Highly insulated exterior walls and roof for better envelope energy efficiency.
- Energy-efficient glazing to reduce heat loss through the glass.
- Daylighting/natural lighting throughout all occupied spaces to reduce reliance on artificial lighting.
- White roof installed to minimize the heat gain through a dark roof surface.
- Energy efficient lighting to reduce the overall energy impact of the lighting loads.
- Low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paint, adhesive, sealants and other materials to reduce the out-gassing of newly installed products and improve the indoor air quality for the facility.
- Recycled content and CRI Green Label Plus carpeting for improved indoor air quality.
- Regional materials have been used through much of the infrastructure of the building including precast concrete plank floors, concrete masonry walls, and brick exterior to reduce transportation costs of materials used in construction.
- Recycling stations throughout the facility to encourage student participation in environmental stewardship and reducing landfill quantities.
According to the USGBC, there are nearly 4,000 LEED-registered projects on the nation's campuses. The USGBC and ACUPCC leaders are working to fully transform the higher education sector so that schools educate and model for the rest of society completely sustainable operations, including green building practices and renewable energy use, resulting in dramatic reductions in pollution and energy costs. The goal is to make green building second nature — the default for the entire building sector of society.