Tutor Center Earns Green Building Award

By Cristy Lytal on July 16, 2009 7:54 AM

With its doors yet to open to the public, the new Ronald Tutor Campus Center has already won an award.

Because of its exceptionally environmentally-friendly design and construction, USC’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified structure has garnered a Green Building of America Award and a spot in the green success stories edition of the upcoming Southwest Real Estate & Construction Review.

“It was really important to the students that the university look at green building and the type of carbon footprint we’re leaving,” said Patrick Bailey, associate dean and executive director of the Ronald Tutor Campus Center. “So I’m happy that we’ve been able to do that.”

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, the LEED rating system promotes construction projects that reduce negative environmental impacts of buildings and improve occupant health and well-being.

The average LEED-certified building saves 30 to 40 percent of energy use, cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 38 percent, creates 70 percent less solid waste and uses 40 percent less water. It has also been documented that students in green schools score higher on tests, and patients in green hospitals recover more quickly from illness and injury.

The Campus Center, which qualifies for LEED silver certification, incorporates radiant heating in the outdoor plaza, easily reforested bamboo wood, trash compactors that separate out biodegradables and lighting with motion sensors and long-life bulbs. Given Southern California’s drought-prone climate, special attention has been paid to water-saving measures, including low-flow plumbing and an underground retention basin to capture rainfall.

As a LEED building with superior ventilation, abundant natural light, filtered water and paints and furnishings free from toxic chemicals, the Campus Center will create a healthful environment for its occupants.

The Campus Center also will serve as a model for future green construction projects at USC.

“Protecting the environment is a huge issue not only for the university, but also for the country and the world,” said Stan Westfall (B.Arch., 1969; M.Arch., 1971), project manager for USC Capital Construction Development.

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