Sustainable Structures Without the USGBC Seal

Today, the decision to design more sustainable structures is sort of a no-brainer. As stewards of our environment, we need to create sustainable buildings – but whether or not you certify a building with the USGBC – that’s another discussion. Our recent design efforts at various universities have helped identify different attitudes regarding the question of whether or not to certify projects.

• At the University of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign we’ve designed an addition to their historic Huff Gym for their College of Applied Health Sciences. Here we are certifying this design and construction at the Silver level. UIUC’s Facilities & Services Planning Department is programming all projects more than $5 million to be at least LEED™ Silver certified and their Construction Management Department is applying LEED standards and practices to capital projects over $5 million.

• Millikin University has asked us to design three projects (a theater & dance addition to their historic gymnasium, an exercise science addition to their current gym, and a new University (Student) Center) as if we were going to certify them – but it has already been determined that we won’t go through the LEED certification process.

• At Indiana State University our team is working on the Arena Building for the College of Nursing, Health and Human Services and the Welcome Center (formerly the Family & Consumer Sciences Building) and has been asked to develop a LEED scorecard as if we applying for certification, however; ISU won’t be going through the LEED certification process.

• Similar to the institutions mentioned above, Eastern Illinois University’s athletics department has asked us to design a master plan for the athletics precinct as if we were to apply for LEED Silver level certification.

• Student housing projects at both Purdue University and Indiana University have all been designed with sustainability at the forefront, but have not been certified.

Through these experiences, it seems to me that the intermittent early efforts to certify university projects are now being replaced with a concerted effort to apply LEED principles throughout a campus’ built environment.

I’ve written in the past about the efforts universities go through to distinguish themselves. I’ve also written about the arms race for providing amenities in order to attract future students. To me, a university that demonstrates a commitment to sustainability is distinguishing itself from the competition. Sustainability is important to future generations of students and they want to attend a school that values that ideal as much as they do.

Because of the trend toward designing in an environmentally sustainable way, I see that campus buildings at different institutions are starting to look similar.

This then begs the question: how can we as architectural designers integrate sustainability throughout the built environment and yet design a structure that still reflects the campus community around it? Or, is this an antiquated idea?

Tags: Eastern Illinois University, Higher Education, Indiana State University, Indiana University, LEED, Millikin University, Purdue University, Sustainable Design, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USGBC

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