LEED Gold Surprise


The remodeled Dean Hall at Central Washington University was the recipient of LEED Gold certification after university officials only expected LEED Silver.
 
ELLENSBURG, Wash. — The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded Central Washington University’s Dean Hall LEED Gold certification, a surprise for planners who planned to meet LEED Silver standards, according to CWU officials.
 
Joanne Hillemann, manager of facilities planning and construction at CWU, said the award was an exciting surprise for a building that was remodeled in 2008 to meet silver certification standards. Dean Hall was CWU’s primary science building until 1998, when the university closed the facility due to contamination of building systems by asbestos and heavy metals.
 
“The gold award actually exceeds our ‘green’ expectations,” said Hillemann, who is LEED-accredited. “The overall energy efficiency of the building saves money on energy bills and models the university’s commitment to building an environmentally sustainable campus.”
 
This was the first such application for LEED certification of a CWU building, Hilleman said. It was earned based on a variety of green design and construction features, including:
 
Energy-efficient lighting, occupancy sensors and room thermostats networked into the campus-wide energy management system;
 
Water-conserving plumbing fixtures, expected to save more than 140,000 gallons annually;
 
Landscaping with native and adaptive drought-tolerant plants;
 
Use of local and regional materials, such as brick, wallboard and acoustical ceiling tiles, and recycled materials, including carpeting, steel and metal decking.
 
Additionally, 2,100 tons of construction debris was diverted from the landfill through recycling.
 
Hillemann said that a post-occupancy survey of Dean Hall showed that the vast majority of its occupants were satisfied with and comfortable in the renovated structure, which earned the university an extra LEED point.
 
“We also received an innovation and design credit for environmentally friendly housekeeping procedures now used throughout the building,” she said, adding that hazardous chemicals are not used to clean the building.
 
The $23.2 million renovation of the 40-year-old Dean Hall, named for CWU Chemistry professor Dorothy Dean, was completed in 2008. The project architect and LEED consultant was BCRA, based in Tacoma. The general contractor was Lydig Construction Inc., of Spokane.