Press Release for Tuesday, January 19, 2010
UNF Education Building Obtains Certified LEED Gold Status
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Joanna Norris, Assistant Director
Department of Media Relations and Events
(904) 620-2102
The
new College of Education
and Human Services building on the University
of North Florida campus
has been certified LEED
(Leadership in
Energy & Environmental Design) Gold by the U. S. Green Building Council. It
is the first building on the UNF campus to achieve this recognition.
The
building consists of approximately 107,000 gross square feet on three floors
and is located on the West side of the campus core between the Thomas G. Carpenter
Library and the recently completed Student Union Building. Interior spaces
include teaching labs, faculty offices, meeting rooms and support spaces. The
construction cost for this project was $18 million dollars.
“It’s
an honor and a privilege for me to be a part of the University’s commitment to
be a progressive and an environmentally-conscious institution,” said Zak
Ovadia, UNF’s director of Campus Planning, Design and Construction. “Our
eco-friendly approach to our construction projects and resulting certifications
illustrate the University’s strong role in the stewardship of our natural
environment on campus.”
With
this latest certification, there are now four buildings certified by the U.S.
Green Building Council on the campus. Currently, Parking Services is the only
Silver-certified building; however, two other buildings—Osprey Fountains and
the Student Union—are presently going through the certification process and
they are striving to achieve the Silver rating.
The
Social Sciences building and the Brooks College of Health addition received
basic certification. The Social Sciences Building opened in the fall of 2006 as
the first LEED-certified facility in Northeast Florida
and was the first “green” building on campus.
The
LEED™ Green Building Rating System is a voluntary third-party rating system
where credits are earned for satisfying specified green building criteria. Projects
are evaluated within six environmental categories: sustainable sites, water
efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor
environmental quality.
The
U.S. Green Building Council is the nation’s leading coalition of corporations,
builders, universities, federal and local agencies, and nonprofit organizations
working together to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible,
profitable and healthy places to live and work.
-UNF-