U. Va. Seeks Certification for Five Buildings

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — School officials are making a commitment to have all new construction on campus qualify for LEED certification, and they currently have five projects that may do just that.

Although striving for LEED certification often leads to an increase in design fees, facilities upgrades and construction costs, school officials realized it can create a prompt payback on investment, so they made LEED a top priority in campus design.

The anticipated benefits include improved energy savings and more efficient water and waste management. School officials also expect lower maintenance and operations costs, which have the potential to limit liability exposure and reduce the school’s impact on the environment.

School officials are also hoping these green factors will increase student enrollment.

Projects on campus that are up for certification include: Hereford Residence Hall; Observatory Hill Residence; phase one of the South Lawn Project; the Claude C. Moore Medical Education Building; and the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center.