Green Buildings
Green Buildings
RIT requires that all new buildings be certified to a minimum of LEED Silver. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a point-based rating system for buildings developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). It promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in the following key areas: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, Locations and Linkages, Awareness and Education, Innovation in Design, and Regional Priorities.
Sustainability Institute Hall: LEED Platinum
The 84,000-square-foot Sustainability Institute Hall, home to the Golisano Institute for Sustainability, is a state-of-the-art laboratory for scientific discovery and experiential learning. The facility was dedicated in April 2013 and awarded LEED Platinum status in March 2014. Sustainability Institute Hall was cited by the Green Business Council as a “notable project” certified in New York State in 2014.
University Services Center: LEED Platinum
In 2010, University Services Center was the first building in Monroe County to earn a LEED Platinum rating. The building has a 12.2 KW solar array on the roof and shower and locker facilities for cyclists. A third of the materials used in the building contain recycled content, and a quarter of the materials were sourced within a 500 mile radius.
Institute Hall: LEED Gold
A LEED Gold facility, Institute Hall is home to the university’s new green data center. The building envelop was designed to maximize energy efficiency, and a large rain garden runs along the east side of the building, featuring native and adapted plant species.
Global Village: LEED Gold
The mixed use Global Village project earned LEED Gold in 2012. The most notable green feature of the project is an intensive green roof located above The Cantina that provides attractive views from rooms above as well as increased habitat and improved stormwater quality.
Engineering Technology Hall: LEED Gold
Engineering Technology Hall was RIT’s first facility designed and built according to the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating. The building opened in 2008 and earned a LEED Gold rating. The building includes a green wall, a small solar array (2.2 KW), green roof section, and two 1500-gallon cisterns in the lower level that collect rainwater from the roof to flush toilets in the building.
Rosica Hall: LEED Gold
This LEED Gold facility boasts extensive natural day lighting, five commissioned works of art and a meditation garden.