CAST Building	View the Time-lapse Video of the CAST Building Construction
RIT’s College of Applied Science and Technology (CAST) Building was officially opened in April 2008. This latest addition to the RIT campus is also its “greenest” building. It has been designed to meet the standards of the most widely accepted rating system for evaluating sustainable, high-performance buildings, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System of the US Green Building Council (USGBC). The design of the CAST building implemented a wide range of sustainable strategies. These include careful management of the site in development, the preferred use of renewable or recyclable materials rather than virgin materials, improved design for energy & water efficiency, design and construction measures to improve indoor air quality, and others that – within the LEED system - are categorized as “Innovation in Design”. This is a category for exemplary performance and innovative design ideas that span beyond the defined LEED Rating System - and a category that RIT and CAST wholly embraced. RIT has invested in energy and water-saving design strategies, including a rainwater reuse system and lighting & HVAC controls that monitor building occupancy and reduce power demands accordingly. The improved systems within the CAST Building will provide an approximate 21.4% savings in electrical energy (estimated at over $24,000/year at 2007 prices). This savings equates to enough power to service approximately 47 average New York homes. Two 1500-gallon cisterns were installed in the lower level of CAST to collect rainwater (a free asset that is typically diverted) from the roof to flush toilets in the restrooms. This innovation, combined with additional design improvements, create a savings in potable water that amounts to over 35,000 gallons per year. In all, approximately 75% of the building's typical annual water use has been saved and the building's impact on municipal systems has been greatly reduced. Rainwater is also used to irrigate some unusual plantings in the main lobby – a vertically landscaped wall that enhances the space and improves air quality as well. CAST’s reduced demand for energy and resources in this building amount to a reduction in its carbon footprint of approximately 41%.