KEENE, N.H. 4/28/08 - Keene State College's Pondside III residence hall has received LEED® Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED® is the USGBC's rating system for designing and constructing the world's greenest, most energy-efficient, high-performance buildings.

"Each facility project presents an opportunity for applying energy-saving designs," said Jay Kahn, Keene State's vice president for Finance and Planning. "With Rhodes Hall, the Library, the Science Center, the Dining Commons, One Butler Court, and most recently Fiske Hall, the College and its consultants have challenged each other to consider the most cost-effective measures we can bring to a project. Pondside III was the first project we chose to document our efforts for external review and certification."

A $14-million project that spans 51,300 square feet and has 154 beds, Pondside III overlooks Brickyard Pond on the campus. The suite-style building sets a new standard for dorm life at the College - suites with singles, doubles, or a mix of both promote social interaction, and support "living and learning" communities centered on academic themes, service learning, leadership, wellness, the arts, and other common interests. The building incorporates super-insulated walls, motion-sensor lights, dual-flush toilets, and recycling rooms on each floor.

Pondside III was designed by Lavallee Brensinger Architects and Herbert S. Newman and Partners to achieve LEED® certification for energy use, lighting, and water and material use, as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. Rist Frost Shumway engineering and construction managers and MacMillin Company Inc. also worked on the project. LEED® certification of Pondside III was based on a number of green design and construction features, including:

• Sustainable interior surfaces and furniture - such as a composite product made of recycled soda can shavings for countertops and windowsills
• All flooring materials include recycled content
• Lighting controls with motion-sensing on/off switches
• Low-energy lighting fixtures
• Natural light comes from the placement of glass walls, allowing spaces to be viewed from within the building and from outside, further encouraging students to sociaize and work together
• Natural materials and colors serve to complement and mirror the building's rural environmental context and emphasize the residential feeling of the structure

For more information about LEED® certification, visit www.usgbc.org.

More News