University of Arkansas, Illinois Courthouse See Green

Arkansas, specifically the University of Arkansas, is the latest backer to get on the LEED bandwagon. UA’s Innovation Center, part of the Arkansas Research and Technology Park south of the UA’s main Fayetteville campus, was recently named one of the most environmentally friendly structures in the state and is the first LEED-certified building in Arkansas.

“The Innovation Center sets the bar for future green buildings within the state, and the university is to be commended,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which adminsters the program. The facility earned 31 points.

“This is a wonderful accomplishment for the university,” said Phillip Stafford, president of the UA Technology Development Foundation.”This 35,000-sq.-ft., environmentally friendly structure will anchor the Arkansas Research and Technology Park and provide office and laboratory space for technologically intensive companies to co-locate with university faculty, creating an environment that will facilitate growth and innovation.”

All decisions regarding construction of the Innovation Center were based on creating flexibility within the building spaces, according to Stafford. Extremely adaptable systems, such as raised underfloor air distribution, movable walls and individually controlled, sensored light fixtures, were used to minimize waste in materials, labor cost and time.

These were important goals, according to Stafford, as he says the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) estimates that a typical North American commercial construction project generates up to 2.5 lbs. of solid waste per sq. ft. of floor space. U.S. commercial buildings also currently consume more than 30% of the nation’s total energy and 60% of electricity annually. DOE also estimates that an additional 38 million sq. ft. of building space will be constructed by 2010.

In other LEED news, Nashville, Tenn.-based commissioning provider SSRCx, LLC has been chosen to facilitate LEED green building certification for the new Rockford Federal Courthouse in Rockford, Ill. The building is also the state’s first courthouse to register for LEED certification.

Starting July 2003, the General Services Administration, which oversees federal government buildings, mandated that all new projects be LEED certified.

The building is currently in the design phase. SSRCx will oversee all documentation and submission for final certification from USGBC.

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