Menu
Local Ivy Tech site earns LEED Green Building certification
Ivy Tech Community College announced Wednesday that it has been awarded LEED certification established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) for its Ivy Tech Greencastle campus.
LEED is the nation's preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.
"Ivy Tech is committed to caring for the environment through innovation and by efficiently using precious resources as we construct new facilities to serve our students and communities. The building's Earth-friendly features will help us conserve energy while promoting a healthy environment for students and faculty to learn and achieve," Chancellor Ann M. Valentine said.
"We are proud to receive LEED certification for our Greencastle location. The commitment and perseverance of our facilities team ensured that we reached this goal," Becky Miller, Greencastle interim vice chancellor, said.
The new facility, dedicated in 2009, achieved LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies.
By using less energy and water, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.
The Ivy Tech project is one of only five LEED-certified buildings in the Wabash Valley.
"With each new LEED-certified building, we get one step closer to USGBC's vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation," said Rick Fedrizzi, president and CEO of U.S. Green Building Council. "As the newest member of the LEED family of green buildings, Ivy Tech Greencastle is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement."
LEED certification of the Greencastle campus was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community.
Those features include:
-- Xeriscape Landscape
-- Native Plants and Trees
-- Construction Waste Management
-- Certified Wood Usage
-- Energy Optimization
-- Occupancy Sensors
-- Dark Sky Cutoff Exterior Lighting
-- Low Flow Toilet Fixtures
-- Low Volatile Organic Compound Content
-- Low-E Glazing
-- High Recycled Content
-- Daylighting/Light Shelf
-- Sun Shading Device
-- High Albedo Roofing
-- Bicycle Parking
The Ivy Tech Greencastle campus is located at 915 S. Zinc Mill Rd.
Ivy Tech Community College is the state's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually.
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is considered the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings.