Issues with AGMBC

The sustainable sites category is the most challenging category, and it is the most detailed section in the AGMBC.^[3]

• Campus settings sometimes have established property lines through campus, but share a common infrastructure between areas. (Examples include street lighting may encroach on another building, storm water routes may go into same retention areas)
• One overall sign for LEED certification, may not appeal to college trying to market LEED dedication.

Multi-Building Certification Methods

1. Certifying a new building within a setting of existing buildings that are considered a campus, i.e. there is one owner or common property management and control. Use of a retention pond not on "site" but on campus, would still qualify for LEED credit.
2. Certifying a group of new buildings as a package where the entire building set will be rated as a package and only one rating received. These buildings may constitute the entire campus or be a subset of an existing campus.
3. Certifying new buildings where each new building is constructed to a set of standards but will receive an independent rating based on achievement of credits beyond the standards specific to that building. These buildings may constitute the entire campus or be subset of an existing campus.

International Sustainable Campus Network

Universities have a leadership role in advancing knowledge, technology and tools to create a sustainable future. To fulfill this role effectively and with high credibility, they need to include a focus on sustainability also in their own operations and facilities. Campus projects, be they educational or corporate campus developments, present interesting sustainability challenges and opportunities. Firstly, their size is at the borderline between single building projects and small towns, a fruitful scale for innovative energy and transport solutions. And secondly, they are to a certain degree one-purpose neighborhoods focused on education, research, development or distribution of new ideas, products or services.

• Goal 1: sustainable construction, renovation, and operation
• Goal 2. sustainable master planning and development, mobility, and community integration
• Goal 3. linking facilities, research and education for sustainable development

Partners: Technische Universität Darmstadt, Australian National University, University of California, Berkeley, City of Zurich, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich), Harvard University, HEEPI, Hosei University, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Los Angeles Community College District, National University of Singapore, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, Stanford University, The Sustainability Forum, Tongji University, University of Applied Sciences of Trier-Birkenfeld, University of Copenhagen, University of Zurich – CCRS, University of Gothenburg, University of Luxembourg and Yale University.^[10]

International Green Construction Code

The International Green Construction Code is a part of the International Code Council (ICC). As part of its commitment to green and sustainable safety concepts, the Code Council is excited to develop a new set of green codes under the multi-year initiative called "IGCC: Safe and Sustainable by the Book." This initiative will include collaboration from the council's closest allies and pre-eminent thought leaders in green building, as well as outreach and feedback from our members and the general public. The International Green Construction Code is committed to developing an effective and efficient code that will continue our long tradition of international code guidance.^[11][12]

World Green Building Council

The World Green Building Council is an international organization that facilitates the green building councils of many developed and developing nations. The Council started in 1999 with its first meeting in California. Eight members attended the first meeting: U.S. Green Building Council, Green Building Council of Australia, Spain Green Building Council, United Kingdom Green Building Council, Japan Green Building Council, United Arab Emirates, Russia and Canada. THE WorldGBC incorporated in 2002 and operates from Toronto, Canada. There are currently over 15 established GBCs and 35 emerging and prospective countries with GBCs.^[13]

Stanford University: Knight Management Center

Stanford is a leading university in the green movement and the school is striving to achieve a LEED Platinum certification for their new graduate school of business, the Knight Management Center. The goal for this building is to open in the winter of 2011.^[14] The center will have eight buildings around three quadrangles with 360,000 square feet (33,000 m²) of interior space. According to the principal architect, Stan Boles of Boora Architects in Portland, Oregon, "The orientation of the buildings is narrow in the north-south dimension. They are designed for optimum daylighting, ventilation, and for shading of one another. The exterior walls are designed so that areas of glass are created but shaded by exterior screens to prevent excessive heat gain."^[15] This project aims to:

• Reduce overall water usage by at least 40%.
• Exceed current energy efficiency standards by at least 40%.
• Generate at least 12% electricity on site through solar energy.
• Use rainwater or re-circulated gray water to reduce potable water use for building sewage conveyance by 80%.
• Recycle or salvage 50% to 70% of non-hazardous construction debris.
• Use low- or non-volatile organic compound-emitting materials to ensure exceptional indoor air quality.^[15][16]

Stanford's president, John L. Hennessy, said, "One of the biggest global challenges facing us today is the sustainable use of our planets natural resources. The Graduate School of Business will play a key role in helping us address these challenges by leading the way in its sustainable development of this new campus."^[15] Stanford University is taking an active role in constructing green buildings on their campus and the Knight Management Center will be a great example of how a building can be sustainable.

University of California at Santa Barbara: Donald Bren School of Environmental Science & Management

The Donald Bren School of Environmental Science & Management is located at the University of California, Santa Barbara, California. The academic laboratory and classroom facility demonstrates cost-effective, energy-efficient technologies and operations. The concrete and steel frame structure was complete in 2002 and cost approximately $27,500,000. Donald Bren Hall was the first laboratory to receive LEED Platinum accreditation, the highest rating achievable through the US Green Building Council's national rating system, with the following building design features:

• Site Protection: Since Donald Bren Hall is located adjacent to the ocean, a strict site protection plan was developed and implemented to ensure all storm water is retained onsite to prevent contamination of local waterways.
• Water Efficiency: A separate reclaimed water system was installed to furnish greywater to flush toilets and irrigate the landscape. Waterless urinals were also installed and it is estimated that each waterless urinal will save approximately 45,000 gallons of water per year.
• Energy Efficiency: Design includes a 40 KW rooftop photovoltaic system, natural ventilation linked with a window interlock system for heating, daylighting controls, energy-efficient lighting, high efficiency boiler, and chiller integrated into a virtual chilled water loop. These energy efficiency measures assisted the building to exceed Title 24 (1998 Standards) by 31%.
• Materials Efficiency: 93% of the construction waste generated onsite was diverted from the landfill. Recycled-content products include 12-20% flyash in the concrete, glass tiles and countertops, 100% postconsumer recycled content carpet, and tire-derived rubber flooring. Other environmentally preferable products for the interior surface materials included linoleum and natural cork flooring, bamboo cabinetry, and stained concrete flooring.^[17]

According to Great Buildings, "The Donald Bren School at the University of California, Santa Barbara takes advantage of a beautiful setting near the Pacific Ocean to become a green building that embraces its environment not only for efficiency, but for experience. With a striking open courtyard, it provides ample opportunity for social interaction that makes the transition between indoors and outdoors much smoother and ephemeral than most buildings. Building Bren Hall with sustainable materials and methods is estimated to have added only 2% to the building cost, which will easily be offset over time by energy savings."^[18]

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Botanical Gardens Education Center

The 29,656-square-foot (2,755.1 m²) Education Center is located at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The building consists of three major sections connected by covered breezeways. The central wing welcomes visitors to the education center as they enter the garden through a large breezeway. The east wing offers classrooms for students enrolled in workshops and classrooms, and the west wing features the Reeves Auditorium. This large multipurpose space is used for lectures, conferences, and special events.^[19] The Education Center plans to achieve a LEED Platinum rating, most likely the first ever in North Carolina, with these features:

• Site Selection and Design: The Education center was located with an efficient solar orientation. Also, during the construction process, there was minimal disturbance to grade, and existing vegetation was well protected.
• Water Efficiency: The building uses water-efficient native landscaping and low-flow plumbing. Stormwater is conserved and re-used. Rainwater cisterns, gardens, and retention swales are also methods being used.
• Energy Efficiency: Geothermal wells for efficient heating and air-conditioning are used. Photovoltaic and solar cells have been installed on the building, and natural lighting is used very effectively along with day sensors that automatically dim lights when daylight is too strong.
• Materials Efficiency: To minimize transportation costs and carbon dioxide emissions, and to stimulate local economies, all materials were locally and sustainably produced. No wood came from old-growth trees; all the wood came from certified sustainable forests. At least 75% of the construction waste was recycled, and there was no non-toxic or off-gassing.^[20]

The new Education Center expresses a sense of place and celebrates relationships between humans and nature through the integration of indoor and outdoor spaces. Open breezeways, comfortable porches, natural light in every room, beautiful native plant landscaping, and educational exhibits inform, delight, and invite visitors to the Conservation Garden. Most of all, the building is a center of learning, teaching both the science and the enjoyment of plants and nature.^[20]

University of Florida: James W. Heavener Football Complex

The University of Florida’s new football complex, the James W. Heavener Football Complex, was completed in 2008 and received LEED Platinum rating for the environmental sustainability of the building. The facility contractor was PPI Construction Management and the architect was RDG Planning and Design. The building includes offices, conference rooms, an atrium to display the football teams accomplishments, and a weight training facility.^[21] The LEED rated the complex 52 out of the 69 available points for the certification, which gave the building the Platinum rating. This facility is the first platinum athletic facility in the United States as well as the first platinum rated building in the state of Florida. The $28 million building exceeded the original goal of obtaining a LEED Silver rating.^[22]

This building has many features that helped it to achieve the Platinum level. The features dealing with water usage reduce the buildings indoor water use by 40 percent.^[21] Due to all of the facility’s energy saving features the building has exceeded the state and national energy requirements by 35 percent.^[21] Another interesting fact about the construction of this building is that most of the material used in the construction came from within 500 miles of the University of Florida, which reduce the emissions created form transporting the material. Also 78 percent of the building debris was recycled. The assistant director of LEED at UF, Bahar Armaghani, said, "Green Buildings are not exclusively concerned with saving money through more efficient technology. They are also investments for the well-being of the people and environment."^[21] The University of Florida has taken on an initiative to have all new construction be LEED Gold certified or higher and with the construction of this facility the school has surpassed their own requirements by achieving the Platinum rating.

Key Features of the Heavener Football Complex:

• Occupancy sensors to control lighting
• Organic carpet
• Paint and flooring made out of recycled materials
• Low-flow water fixture and water saving shower heads
• Dual-flush toilets
• Low-e glazing, insulation, and reflective material on glass
• Green roof on weight room
• 100% reclaimed water for irrigation^[21]

High Point University School of Education

High Point University, located in High Point, North Carolina, has a LEED-Certified building that houses the School of Education. The 31,000-square-foot building houses the education and psychology departments in technologically advanced classrooms, computer labs and offices. It features high-tech educational equipment, such as smart boards, a children's book library, math and science touch screen games, a methods lab designed to look and feel like a real elementary school classroom, a Mac lab and psychology research booths. The School of Education building is setting an example for modern-day energy conservation with things like floor to ceiling windows for natural lighting and light sensors in the rooms.^[23]

Key Statistics:

• Water usage is cut by 30 percent inside the building and by 50 percent in its irrigation system
• Energy usage is decreased by 24 percent.

Charles Hostler Student Center

The Charles Hostler Student Center on the campus of the American University of Beirut provides a model for environmentally responsive design that meets the social needs of the campus and the larger region. Situated on Beirut's seafront and main public thoroughfare, the new 204,000 sq ft (19,000 m²). facility houses competitive and recreational athletic facilities for swimming, basketball, handball, volleyball, squash, exercise and weight training. The space also includes an auditorium with associated meeting rooms, cafeteria with study space, and underground parking for 200 cars.^[24]

Green Building methods:

• Organized as building clusters as opposed to a single building. Allowing the building forms themselves to redistribute air, activity and shade.
• The east–west orientation of the building forms helps to shade exterior courtyards, reducing the amount of southern exposure.
• The orientation also directs nighttime breezes and daytime sea breezes to cool outdoor spaces.
• Green spaces on the rooftops allow for a more pleasing physical and visual integration with the upper campus, providing usable rooftop areas for activities and reducing the amount of exposure to the sun.
• Usable program area on the site is increased through shading and ventilation of outdoor spaces^[25]

Dubai International Academic City Phase-III

Dubai International Academic City Phase-III (DIAC phase-III) comprises four academic buildings and a food court spread over a total built up area of 600,000 square feet (56,000 m²). It has received the Silver LEED certification, and is expected to save approximately AED2.3 million per year from reduced energy costs, district cooling demand changes, irrigation water costs, sewage tanker and domestic water costs.^[26]

Green Building component Features:

• Heat recovery wheels
• Enhanced levels of insulation
• Optimization of fresh air through variable speed drives on air handling units
• Recessed windows
• Significantly low lighting power densities

These features will make this cluster 21.7% more energy efficient than the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 90.1 - 2004 standards.^[26] will also consume 30% less water than the standards set by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as 40% less irrigation water. These savings have been achieved by the installation of ultra-low flow water restrictors in wash basins and dual-flush tanks in wash rooms, as well as additives in the soil for the landscape areas.^[27]