Commercial Property News - November 2008 - (Page 29)

INDUSTRY PULSE SUSTAINABILITY building envelope,” Damon said. Many schools have committed to decreasing their carbon footprint, signing the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, which is similar to the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and the United States Climate Action Partnership, a coalition of to business and environmental groups. To date, the leaders of more than 550 schools across the country— representing almost 30 percent of the total student population— have signed on. Under the commitment, colleges and universities must agree to create a plan to achieve climate neutrality as soon as practically possible and to promote the research and education needed to dramatically reduce greenhousegas emissions and to restabilize the earth’s climate. Additionally, schools must initiate two or more of the following concrete actions while the broader plan is being developed: adopt green standards for buildings, require ENERGY STAR certification for products they purchase, offset air-travel emissions, encourage public transportation, purchase energy executive-education programs. It will also include flexible classroom space and breakout study rooms to accommodate the large number of small classes and programs in the school’s Master of Business Administration curriculum, which launched in 2007. The buildings are designed with narrow footprints to maximize daylight harvesting and shading and to facilitate cross-ventilation. The exterior walls include glass that is shaded by exterior screens to prevent excessive heat gain, according to BOORA Architects principal Isaac Campbell. The campus will use solar technology to reduce energy needs and is expected to exceed current energyefficiency standards by at least 40 percent. “We have an enormous photovoltaic array on the roof that will generate 12 percent of the building’s electrical load,” he said. The project also aims to reduce overall water usage by at least 30 percent and to reduce potable water use by 80 percent through a rainwater-collection system and through recirculated gray water. It will feature low- or non-volatile organic compound-emitting materials to ensure exceptional indoor air quality. And 50 to 75 percent of non-hazardous construction debris is expected to be recycled or reused. www.cpnonline.com • November 2008 • COMMERCIAL PROPERTY NEWS 29 from renewable sources, support climate and sustainability shareholder proposals through their endowments and minimize waste generated on campus. In addition to new development, most universities and colleges that have sustainability ini- tiatives are focused on greening their existing buildings. The University of Central Florida, for example, has implemented a commissioning program—to evaluate whether buildings’ systems are performing at their highest efficiency—as part of its campuswide efforts to reduce energy consumption. It was only the second U.S. higher-education institution to establish an inhouse commissioning team, after Texas A&M University.The school used a grant from the DepartContinued on page 32 ® http://www.aia.org/walkthewalk http://www.aia.org/walkthewalk http://www.cpnonline.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Commercial Property News - November 2008

CPN - November 2008 Contents Starting Line Seniors Housing Data/Analysis Conferences Through the Fog CPN’s Top Cities for Investment & Corporate Relocation Finance International Sustainability CPN-Nielsen Claritas Special Report

Commercial Property News - November 2008

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