First university in the U.S. to earn LEED status for every building on campus

At the University of California-Merced, they know a little something about LEED certification.

By Source: USGBC March 6, 2009

At the University of California-Merced, they know a little something about LEED certification . For the fourth time since 2007, a recently completed building on UC-Merced’s campus has earned LEED Gold certification from the USGBC.

The 211,000-sq ft Science & Engineering Building, completed in Jan. 2006, provides labs, classrooms, and office space for faculty and students. The building meets the requirements of the USGBC in the fields of water and energy usage; natural lighting; air quality; waste diversion; and recycling.

Since 2007, the university’s Central Plant complex, the Leo 7 Dottie Kolligian Library, and the Classroom and Office building were awarded LEED Gold certification; another facility–the Valley Terraces and Yablokoff-Wallace Dining Commons–earned LEED Silver. No other university in the United States has earned LEED Silver or better for every building on campus.

“Earning Gold certification for a structure as complex as the Science & Engineering Building is a major achievement for the design and construction team,” said Thomas Lollini, FAIA, associate vice chancellor for physical planning, design and construction.