The University of California, Merced, received another Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, this time for the Student Services Building.
The award brings the campus total for LEED certifications through the U.S. Green Building Council to 13, with its newest building, under construction, the second Classroom and Office Building (COB2), expected to also achieve Platinum status.
The campus is holding a topping-off ceremony for COB2 at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, with construction crews placing the uppermost beam on the building that’s expected to open in April 2016. Before the beam is placed, the campus community is invited to sign it, leaving marks and messages for anyone who might see it in the future.
UC Merced continues to be the only campus in the nation with LEED certification for all its facilities.
“UC Merced continues to pave the way in sustainable planning and design, frequently outperforming our objectives through the dedication and hard work of the consultants, contractors and staff involved and inspired by the vision of our leadership,” Campus Architect Thomas Lollini said.
The campus earned LEED Silver certification for the Garden Suites Lake View Dining building; eight Gold certificates for its Central Plant, Science & Engineering 1, the first Classroom and Office Building, the Leo and Dottie Kolligian Library, the Joseph Gallo Recreation Center, Sierra Terraces, Early Childhood Education Center and the Logistical Support/Safety Facility; and four Platinum certificates, for the dining expansion, the Social Science and Management building, the Student Activities and Athletic Center and now the Student Services Building. The Early Childhood Education Center is one of the first LEED Gold modular buildings in the country.
Platinum certifications are also pending on two residence halls, called The Summits, and on Science & Engineering 2, which opened this fall.
Earning LEED certifications for design is only one of the campus’s goals. The facilities department is also conducting audits of operations in every building on campus, from energy use to procurement procedures, to earn LEED recognition for the use and maintenance of the buildings.
The campus earlier this year won The California Architectural Foundation’s Owings Award for Environmental Excellence, recognizing UC Merced’s first development phase for its holistic view toward sustainability.
The campus’s master plan has won nine awards, including several from the American Institute of Architects, The Society of Campus and University Planners, the International Green Industry Hall of Fame, and the California Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award.
Though UC Merced has been honored for “cutting-edge sustainability in design and construction” of its buildings, the campus continues to undertake ambitious sustainability efforts, including its Triple Zero commitment to create zero landfill waste, consume zero net energy and produce zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. The campus also plans to be nearly 90 percent powered by renewable energy by the end of 2016.
“There’s no other campus like UC Merced in the country,” Assistant Vice Chancellor of Strategic Facilities Planning Graeme Mitchell said. “This is a very special place.”
The campus pioneered the use of energy benchmarks, setting increasingly aggressive energy budgets for its buildings. Its buildings are designed to be 50% to 60% more energy efficient than their counterparts in the UC system, and 40 percent more water efficient.
Related Stories
| Jan 8, 2014
Strengthened sprinkler rules could aid push for mid-rise wood structures in Canada
Strengthened sprinkler regulations proposed for the 2015 National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) could help a movement to allow midrise wood structures.
Smart Buildings | Jan 7, 2014
9 mega redevelopments poised to transform the urban landscape
Slowed by the recession—and often by protracted negotiations—some big redevelopment plans are now moving ahead. Here’s a sampling of nine major mixed-use projects throughout the country.
| Dec 17, 2013
Nation's largest net-zero K-12 school among winners of 2013 Best of Green Schools award
The Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving, Texas, was named a winner of USGBC's annual award, along with nine other schools, individuals and communities working toward the common goal of healthy, high-performing learning places.
| Dec 17, 2013
IBM's five tech-driven innovation predictions for the next five years [infographics]
Smart classrooms, DNA-based medical care, and wired cities are among the technology-related innovations identified by IBM researchers for the company's 5 in 5 report.
| Dec 13, 2013
Safe and sound: 10 solutions for fire and life safety
From a dual fire-CO detector to an aspiration-sensing fire alarm, BD+C editors present a roundup of new fire and life safety products and technologies.
| Dec 10, 2013
16 great solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors
From a crowd-funded smart shovel to a why-didn’t-someone-do-this-sooner scheme for managing traffic in public restrooms, these ideas are noteworthy for creative problem-solving. Here are some of the most intriguing innovations the BD+C community has brought to our attention this year.
| Dec 9, 2013
Tips for designing higher education's newest building type: the learning commons
In this era of scaled-down budgets, maximized efficiencies, new learning methods and social media’s domination of face time, college and university campuses are gravitating toward a new space type: the learning commons.
| Dec 5, 2013
Exclusive BD+C survey shows reaction to Sandy Hook tragedy
More than 60% of AEC professionals surveyed by BD+C said their firms experienced heightened interest in security measures from school districts they worked with.
| Nov 27, 2013
Exclusive survey: Revenues increased at nearly half of AEC firms in 2013
Forty-six percent of the respondents to an exclusive BD+C survey of AEC professionals reported that revenues had increased this year compared to 2012, with another 24.2% saying cash flow had stayed the same.
| Nov 27, 2013
Wonder walls: 13 choices for the building envelope
BD+C editors present a roundup of the latest technologies and applications in exterior wall systems, from a tapered metal wall installation in Oklahoma to a textured precast concrete solution in North Carolina.
