LEED Certification

Sustainability and Green Building

We are already recognized as a leader in adopting sustainability practices on campus. Our faculty is recognized internationally for their work in studying climate change. It is time for us to fully embrace the responsibilities that our own research calls for. —UW President Mark Emmert
Savings with green building

Why Build Green?

Building green significantly reduces power, water, and waste disposal costs, while improving student health and test scores. For all of these reasons, the State Legislature mandated LEED certification as a condition of funding the renovation.

LEED Certification

LEED certification is a project of the U.S. Green Building Council. To achieve LEED certification, third-party verification is required, unlike King and Snohomish Counties' Built-Green projects that are self reported. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification requires that construction:
  • Exceed environmental conformance standards, regulations, and guidelines
  • Minimize impacts on the environment
  • Reduce resource consumption to minimum
  • Promote sustainability opportunities: land use, development, construction
  • Environmental considerations are a priority in decision making

Greening Lewis Hall

LEED-certified buildings typically include

  • Energy-efficient lighting: Can save on power usage.
  • Water efficiency: Use and re-use cuts water bills and saves a limited resource.
  • Acoustics and thermal comfort: Well-designed acoustics and comfortable temperatures add to well being.
  • Daylighting: Because the wings were built for dorm rooms, the building is shallow and light penetrates throughout the interior.
  • Mold prevention: Important for health.
  • Low-emitting materials: Healthy indoor air depends on use of low- or non-toxic materials throughout construction.

What does a Green Building Look Like?

Green-Building and LEED-Certified Projects include the following examples:

Other Mithun projects in the area include:

On campus, several buildings have been constructed or remodeled to LEED-certification requirements:

  • Nordheim Apartments
  • Merrill Hall, Center for Urban Horticulture
  • Benjamin Hall Interdisciplinary Research Building
  • Johnson Hall

Several more LEED-certified projects are in progress:

  • Playhouse Theater
  • Clark Hall
  • PACCAR Hall, School of Business
  • Savery Hall
  • Husky Union Building

 

Contact the Lewis Hall Committee, its members, or Dean Bruce with your comments or questions.