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August 22, 2005 - Penn State building goes green
Penn State's new building for the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture is made from red brick, glass and copper, but those who worked on the project like to emphasize its greenness.
The environmentally friendly construction of the school's Stuckeman Family Building will become one of the first university buildings in the country to earn gold certification as a green project. That means it has met stringent environmental building requirements, such as a parking lot design that slows water runoff and energy-saving sensor lights that turn off when no one is in the area.
The building is also a model for future Penn State construction projects. Office of Physical Plant spokesman Paul Ruskin said the university's goal for all major buildings is to have them receive what is known as LEED certification.
The certification is from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System. Buildings can earn certification or silver, gold or platinum rankings depending on factors such as how they're designed, what they're made of and how efficient they are to run. According to the council, there are 8,254 certified buildings in the country and 2,080 in the pipeline to receive approval.
Eliza Pennypacker, professor of landscape architecture who was becoming director of campus planning and design when the project was getting under way, said the idea came up that a School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture building would be fitting for the university's first green building.
She said the idea was to teach students about sustainable practices through their environment. At the same time, the university was beginning to look at ways to model sustainability.
The 111,000-square-foot School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture building is situated between Curtin Road and Park Avenue. Its $27.6 million price is probably higher than if the university had built it without going green, but it will mean savings in the long run, along with reducing the impact on the environment, said Dave Will, facilities manager for the College of Arts and Architecture.
The space includes high ceilings, windows and gathering areas, and red brick and copper that has taken on an aqua tone.
Brian Orland, head of the department of landscape architecture, said the open design encourages students to share ideas and work together. He said the use of natural materials and colors is another important part of the design.
Along with being pleasing to the eye, the building's features are earning high ratings for being green. Automated windows, for example, create good air circulation. A small weather station outside the building determines when the windows should be opened and closed based on temperature and humidity and sends a signal causing them all to open at the same time.
Other features might not be as intriguing as the windows, but are still green.
The carpet has a high recycled content, the copper outside the building is recycled and more than 80 percent of the waste from construction was recycled. The tables from the old library have been refinished, so while they look new, they're not.
According to administrators, the building's thin design means more natural lighting and cross-ventilation and fewer trees that were cut down to make room for it.
Anne Danahy can be reached at 231-4648.
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Publication: CentreDaily
