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UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI“LEED-ing” the way to eco-friendly college campuses.

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contents

NEW HITES ON ONE LEVEL

LOOKING UP: BALL STATE UNIVERSITY

HITE-N IT YOURSELF

LEED CAMPUS

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DEPARTMENTS

FEATURELEED-ING NEW HITES

13Looking at the University of Cincinnati

(in Ohio) and how they are “LEED-ing” the way to eco-friendly college campuses nationwide.

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NEW HITES ON ONE LEVEL

... “they’ve developed a system to construct homes faster, stronger, greener, cheaper, and easier than standard industry practice.”

Just the other day, we mentioned a beautiful green home designed by o2 architecture, but they’ve also been

involved with another interesting company, Blue Sky Homes. Blue Sky Homes was created to be a next generation prefab company -- they’ve developed a system to construct homes faster, stronger, greener, cheaper, and easier than standard industry practice. The Blue Sky Homes Building System involves fabricating the elements of the home in a factory and assembling

those pieces on the job site. And they’re testing this system on a 1,000 square foot prototype home in Yucca Valley right now. The prototype is being built with steel, but it’s actually a light-gauge, cold-formed steel, which incorporates recycled steel in a less-intense and more affordable process. Blue Sky Homes can produce strong homes and quick on-site assembly.

Blue Sky Homes is planning a full catalog of home designs for future release. Their designs incorporate a number of green elements and products: bamboo and FSC-

certified cabinetry, solar PV, solar hot water panels, grey water system, low-VOC paints, high-performance double-E windows and doors, Energy Star appliances, efficient STEPs (steel thermal efficiency panels), and the allowance of abundant natural light. The Yucca Valley Prototype House began construction on March 10, 2009, and we’re excitedly monitoring progress on Blue Sky Homes’ website to see the finished home.

editor: Alyssa Sander

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features

CREDITS

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LOOKINg UP

What is a geothermal system and how does it work?

A geothermal heat pump system is a heating and cooling system that uses the Earth’s ability to store heat in the ground and water thermal masses. A geothermal heat pump uses the Earth as either a heat source, when operating in heating mode, or a heat sink, when operating in cooling mode.

The ground a few feet below the surface has a very stable temperature throughout the year. Geothermal heat pumps draw that available heat in the winter and sink heat into the ground in the summer. A conventional furnace or boiler produces heat. In contrast, geothermal systems simply transfer heat from one place to another.

Geothermal heat pumps are also known as “ground-source heat pumps.” They are different from common heat pumps in homes where the heat source is the air. Geothermal heat pumps differ from

David Letterman Building Land where piping will go Parking lot will cover underground work New LEED -certified Rec Center

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editor: Alyssa Sander

GEOTHERMAL PROJECT AT BALL STATE UNIVERSITY

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editor: alyssa sander

DAVID LETTERMAN BUILDINGNEW LEED-CERTIFIED BUILDING, BALL STATE UNIVERSITY

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ust the other day, we mentioned a beautiful green home designed by o2 architecture, but they’ve also been involved with another interesting company, Blue Sky Homes. Blue Sky Homes was created to be a next generation prefab company -- they’ve developed a system to construct homes faster, stronger, greener, cheaper, and easier than standard industry practice. The Blue Sky Homes Building System involves fabricating the elements of the home in a factory and assembling those pieces on the job site. And they’re testing this system on a 1,000 square foot prototype home in Yucca Valley right now. The prototype is being built with steel, but it’s actually a light-gauge, cold-formed steel, which incorporates recycled steel in a less-intense and more affordable process. With this process, Blue Sky Homes can produce strong homes and quick on-site assembly.

Blue Sky Homes is planning a full catalog of home designs for future release, and pric-ing information will be forthcoming as well. Their designs incorporate a number of green elements and products: bamboo and FSC-certified cabinetry, solar PV, solar hot water panels, grey water system, low-VOC paints, high-performance double-E windows and doors, Energy Star appliances, efficient STEPs (steel thermal efficiency pan-els), and the allowance of abundant natural light. The Yucca Valley Prototype House began construction on March 10, 2009, and we’re excitedly monitoring progress on Blue Sky Homes’ website to see the finished home. ust the other day, we mentioned a beautiful green home designed by o2

architecture, but they’ve also been involved with another interesting company, Blue Sky Homes. Blue Sky Homes was created to be a next generation prefab company -- they’ve developed a system to construct homes faster, stronger, greener, cheaper, and easier than standard industry practice.

The Blue Sky Homes Building System involves fabricating the elements of the home in a factory and assembling those pieces on the job site. And they’re testing this system on a 1,000 square foot proto-

The Blue Sky Homes Building System involves fabricating the elements of the home in a factory and assembling those pieces on the job site. And they’re testing this system on a 1,000 square foot proto-type home in Yucca Valley right now.

The prototype is being built with steel, but it’s actually a light-gauge, cold-formed steel, which incorporates recycled steel in a less-intense and more affordable process. With this process, Blue Sky Homes can produce strong homes and quick on-site

Graphic showing how the geothermal system works.

David Letterman Building Land where piping will go Parking lot will cover underground work New LEED -certified Rec Center

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Watching out forthe environment

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HITE-N IT YOURSELF TRASH TO TREASURES

If you followed our advice to kick plastic out of your life, you’ll want to display your colorful rows of jars filled with pasta

and rice. Or maybe you have a collection of fun vintage china. Whatever the reason, try going without cabinet doors in your kitchen. You’ll save materials - and if you’re redoing the kitchen, time - and create a personal and fun look.

Hang wine bottles from the ceiling with lights inside. Punch charming designs into coffee cans and string

them up. Create a lamp shade with photo negatives. Almost anything can be made into a lighting apparatus if you turn it upside down, cut a hole in it, and put a light bulb or fairy lights inside. You’re only limited by your imagination.

They’re cheap, ubiquitous, rustic, and easily manipulated. Pallets, which are used to transport goods, aren’t just

for building wicked bonfires. You can re-use them as a coffee table, a daybed or couch base, or bookshelves. All the materials you need are nails and a hammer, and maybe a saw. You can leave them raw or paint them fun colors.

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If you’re planning on redoing your floors, cabinets, or other wood elements, give some thought to the material. You

wouldn’t want any helpless rain forest trees to be harmed for your home, would you? You can up the eco element by sourcing bamboo, cork, salvaged wood, or

Many paints release VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the air long after they’ve been applied,

even longer than after the smell has disappeared. In the short term VOCs can cause dizziness and headaches, but in the long term the EPA has classified them as suspected carcinogens.

You can even that out by incorporating thermal mass into your home decorating. Thermal mass acts as a

sort of heat battery, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night when it cools down. You can take advantage by incorporating stone, brick, and earthen elements into your home where the sun will

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TREASURES TO TRANSFORMATION

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Leed-ing new hites UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

Frank Lloyd Wright. Notably the most famous architect, and with work such as Falling Water and the Guggenheim

Museum, his name will live on, along with his work. Architects of today desire to follow in his footsteps, but in a whole other way. They want their work to not only live on, but to represent life. One way that they can do this is by being LEED certified.

“LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts” (U.S. Green Building Counsel). “

The building is scored, based on categories as such: Official LEED v2 Scores: Certified: 26-32; Silver Rating: 33-38; Gold Rating: 39-51; Platinum Rating: 52 +; obviously, the higher the score the better. As an architect, being LEED certified helps you to not only design more eco-friendly buildings, but looks attractive to potential clients who desire such buildings.

editor: Alyssa Sander

Creative architecture of the new Joseph A. Steger Student Life Center

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“The University of Cincinnati has a requirement for all new construction, and whenever possible renovations, to be certified LEED Silver or higher. This requirement demonstrates the University’s commitment to responsible design and construction. A critical aspect of this intent, particularly by example, is to reduce risks to employee and student health and safety, and to simplify the maintenance and ensure the longevity of buildings and equipment. The ability to foresee and employ technical innovations to achieve this goal becomes even more critical during times of low available operating cash or credit, which can be an inevitable part of higher education financial cycles, and which must be planned for where feasible” (University of Cincinnati).

The Joseph A. Steger Student Life Center (SSLC) is one of the most unique buildings on MainStreet due to its 800+ foot length and 40 foot width. SSLC, in the heart of MainStreet houses offices and meeting spaces for student groups and organizations. These include Student Life offices, Student Government, the Women’s Center, the Office of Ethnic Programs and Services, the Wellness Center, Professional Practice, and other offices actively frequented by students. Here, students also enjoy ResNet, UC Mobile, the Philip M. Meyers, Jr. Memorial Gallery, Subway, and Starbucks.

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On my visit to the University, I could immediately recognize their vision for the campus. It was obvious that they wanted the campus to be ‘green’ based on the amount of flora placed strategically throughout the campus. The landscaping perfectly coordinated with the buildings, which flowed with the land that they were placed upon. The sloped buildings echoed the slopes of the hills, and the blend of vertical and horizontal lines mirrored those of the landscape. Each building was designed to be different than any other,

not only externally but also internally, in that each building was created to be increasingly innovative and eco-friendly. This is all due in part to the University’s Master Plan.

“During the past 16 years of Master Plan construction, The University has experienced a transformation of its campus (nearly 50%) that is historically incomparable. At a commitment of over $2 billion, the journey from departure to destination has produced a cohesive and coherent

assembly of new and renovated buildings, recreation facilities, improved residential environments, athletic and performance venues, and sculpted landscapes and plazas” (University of Cincinnati).

An example of this transformation is the Campus Recreation Center. With an end cost at $113 million, and completed in 2006, this landmark stands out with its exquisite design, clean lines and modern appeal.

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One of the LEED-certified buildings on campus. The campus is also made “green” through its use of landscaping.

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Buildings on the University of Cincinnati’s campus.

“The University of Cincinnati has a requirement for all new construction, and whenever possible renovations, to be certified LEED Silver or higher. This requirement demonstrates the University’s commitment to responsible design and construction. A critical aspect of this intent, particularly by example, is to reduce risks to employee and student health and safety, and to simplify the maintenance and ensure the longevity of buildings and equipment. The ability to foresee and employ technical innovations to achieve this goal becomes even more critical during times of low available operating cash or credit, which can be an inevitable part of higher education financial cycles, and which must be planned for where feasible” (University of Cincinnati).

On my visit to the University, I could immediately recognize their vision for the campus. It was obvious that they wanted the campus to be ‘green’ based on the amount of flora placed strategically throughout the campus. The landscaping perfectly coordinated with the buildings, which flowed with the land that they were placed upon. The sloped buildings echoed the slopes of the hills, and the blend of

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Richard E. Lidner Center which on looks the football stadium

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“The University of Cincinnati has a requirement for all new construction, and whenever possible renovations, to be certified LEED Silver or higher. This requirement demonstrates the University’s commitment to responsible design and construction. A critical aspect of this intent, particularly by example, is to reduce risks to employee and student health and safety, and to simplify the maintenance and ensure the longevity of buildings and equipment. The ability to foresee and employ technical innovations to achieve this goal becomes even more critical during times of low available operating cash or credit, which can be an inevitable part of higher education financial cycles, and which must be planned for where feasible” (University of Cincinnati).

On my visit to the University, I could immediately recognize their vision for the campus. It was obvious that they wanted the campus to be ‘green’ based on the amount of flora placed strategically throughout the campus. The landscaping perfectly coordinated with the buildings, which flowed with the land that they were placed upon. The sloped buildings echoed the slopes of the hills, and the blend of vertical and horizontal lines mirrored those of the landscape. Each building was designed to be different than any other,

Campus Recreation Center (also seen on previous page)Richard E. Lidner Center which on looks the football stadium

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“During the past 16 years of Master Plan construction, The University has experienced a transformation of its campus (nearly 50%) that is historically incomparable. At a commitment of over $2 billion, the journey from departure to destination has produced a cohesive and coherent assembly of new and renovated buildings, recreation facilities, improved residential environments,

athletic and performance venues, and sculpted landscapes and plazas” (University of Cincinnati).

An example of this transformation is the Campus Recreation Center. With an end cost at $113 million, and completed in 2006, this landmark stands out with its

exquisite design, clean lines and modern appeal.

“The 353,000-square-foot Campus Recreation Center at the University of Cincinnati has earned LEED certification for its environmentally friendly design. The $102 million center includes 224 suites for student housing; three swimming

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Stairs that lead to a geometric courtyard

Editor, Alyssa Sander, in front of the Campus Recreation Center

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NEWSPAPERrecycled

chair

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THIRSTY?

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THIRSTY?LEED CAMPUS USGBC: GREEN CAMPUS CAMPAIGNRoadmap to a Green Campus.

Many of the LEED credits can be applied to campus-wide policies and programs, used to set design

standards, improve master development planning and specifications, and ultimately helping to institutionalize sustainability efforts.

The built environment has a profound impact on our natural environment. In the U.S., buildings account for 39% of carbon dioxide emissions and 71% of total electricity consumption. With roughly 240,000 buildings spread across over 4,100 higher education institutions, colleges and universities can benefit from making green building a central element of sustainability planning. Green buildings offer practical solutions for some of the biggest challenges facing our society today.

The LEED certification program promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in six key areas of human and environmental health:

sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality and innovation in design. As the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of high performance green buildings, LEED provides building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance.The LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance rating system can be applied to single or multiple existing buildings with shared operating systems. With trained campus operating staff and faculty, and awareness of the sustainable issues being mediated on site, the LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M program will provide valuable savings and gains. In the case of a project pursuing certification for one building at a time, LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M will apply to that building’s operations only. More likely, a campus project will be pursuing certification for more than one building at a time. In this case, there are a number of credits within LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M that can be applied to multiple buildings at the same time.

Most Sustainable Sites credits can be documented for use with multiple buildings on the same site. For example, the campus can apply site-wide stormwater and lighting plans that will encompass all buildings in the project. Many of the operating plans required in LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M can be treated in this way. The Materials and Resources (MR)

section’s Sustainable Purchasing: Food credit can be applied

campus-wide and can earn points for any building with food services, and the Solid Waste Management: Ongoing Consumables credit can apply to any building that provides printing services to students.

Special consideration has been taken for using LEED on a campus setting, where multiple buildings share the same amenities. LEED can be applied to situations where one building within a campus is being certified; where multiple buildings are to be evaluated and certified as a package; and where multiple buildings share some of the same characteristics, but will be evaluated for certification individually. The Volume Program, which has recently launched, is a LEED certification process that streamlines certification for multiple buildings on one campus.

LEED is also recognized by many other campus-based sustainability campaigns.

U.S. Green Building Council

“LEED serves both as a single building certification as well as a benchmark for campus greening efforts and measuring progress.”

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