According to the University of California, Berkeley, Chou Hall, part of the Haas School of Business, has become the greenest academic building in the country thanks to its TRUE Platinum Zero Waste certification at the highest level and a LEED Platinum certification. Chou Hall is the only academic building in the country to achieve TRUE Platinum. To achieve TRUE Platinum, the Chou team earned 69 out of the 70 credits they applied for.
The six-story, 80,000-sf building, designed by Perkins+Will and opened in August 2017, earned the TRUE Platinum Zero Waste certification after more than a year of waste sorting, composting, and other concentrated efforts to divert over 90% of Chou’s landfill waste. Design features such as rainwater harvesting, water-efficient landscaping, and the use of water-saving toilets and bathroom fixtures, help Chou Hall use 40% less water than a traditional building of its size and purpose. Energy efficiency was improved by 38% over traditional buildings through solar shading, high-performance windows, a reflective roof, daylight controlled LED lighting, and cooling fans and pumps controlled by adjustable-speed drives.
See Also: Ontario building first to achieve zero-carbon designation by Canada GBC
The facility includes eight tiered classrooms with 76-140 seats each, a 300 person event space, a 3,000-sf cafe with outdoor seating, 28 study rooms, four flexible classrooms, and a total of 858 classroom seats.
In addition to Perkins+Will, Vance Brown Builders was the project’s general contractor.
Related Stories
| Oct 6, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: NEXT Living EcoSuite showcased
Tridel teams up with Cisco and Control4 to unveil the future of green condo living in Canada.
| Oct 5, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Johnson Controls announces Panoptix, a new approach to building efficiency
Panoptix combines latest technology, new business model and industry-leading expertise to make building efficiency easier and more accessible to a broader market.
| Oct 5, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Sustainable construction should stress durability as well as energy efficiency
There is now a call for making enhanced resilience of a building’s structure to natural and man-made disasters the first consideration of a green building.
| Oct 5, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Solar PV canopy system expanded for architectural market
Turnkey systems create an aesthetic architectural power plant.
| Oct 5, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Brick offers growing options for sustainable building design
Brick exteriors, interiors and landscaping options can increase sustainability that also helps earn LEED certification.
| Oct 4, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Two new recycled glass products announced
The two collections offer both larger and smaller particulates.
| Oct 4, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Wall protection line now eligible to contribute to LEED Pilot Credit 43
The Cradle-to-Cradle Certified Wall Protection Line offers an additional option for customers to achieve LEED project certification.
| Sep 23, 2011
Okanagan College sets sights on Living Buildings Challenge
The Living Building Challenge requires projects to meet a stringent list of qualifications, including net-zero energy and water consumption, and address critical environmental, social and economic factors.
| Sep 19, 2011
Portland team hired as LEED and commissioning consultants for $5.5B downtown sustainable project in Qatar
The $5.5 billion sustainable downtown regeneration project underway by Msheireb Properties will transform a 76 acres site at the centre of Doha, Qatar’s capital city, recreating a way of living that is rooted in Qatari culture, attracting residents back to the city center and reversing the trend for decentralization.
| Sep 14, 2011
USGBC L.A. Chapter's Green Gala features Jason McLennan as keynote speaker
The Los Angeles Chapter of the nonprofit USGBC will launch its Sustainable Innovation Awards this year during the chapter's 7th Annual Green Gala on Thursday, November 3.
