Mississippi State University has the first LEED® Certified Chapter House in the US

Mississippi State is the first university to have a LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) chapter house in the US. The 16,000 square foot Pi Beta Phi chapter house maximizes open space, uses indigenous landscaping and bicycle storage. Plumbing and air conditioning systems incorporate water-use reduction features. The use of insulation and window glazing also optimizes energy performance.

Specific design elements used in achieving LEED certification are renewable materials and recycled content in finishes, compact fluorescent lighting, and drought tolerant plants, which minimizes water needs and allows lush green landscaping without the need for irrigation.

“We are extremely proud of our new LEED-certified chapter house at Mississippi State,” said Eileen Grigutis, president of the Fraternity Housing Corporation. “Pi Beta Phi is committed to providing members a safe living environment for their new home.” The house will open its doors for members when they return to school in August.

“We are honored to be among the most elite of properties who have achieved LEED certification. By having third party verification through USGBC, we are confident we have delivered a home that is not only a good steward of the environment, but also provides a healthy atmosphere for future Pi Phi women,” Leah FitzGerald, Assoc AIA, LEED AP, board member of Fraternity Housing Corporation, who managed the project during construction said. “The added distinction of being the First LEED certified sorority in the United States, establishes us as a leader in sustainability, an achievement in which we are extremely proud.”

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Related Posts
Green School Buildings Offer Many Benefits
The Campus Green Builder Online Portal
Organizations and Groups in the USGBC's Center for Green Schools
USGBC's Center for Green Schools
The Green Market's Green Schools Series
USGBC's Green School Building Resources
Environmental Revolution: Building and Operations
The Extraordinary Growth of Green Building
Green Building Environmental Benefits
Green Buildings Combat Climate
The Future of Green School Buildings
Green School Buildings Health and Performance Benefits Part 1
Green School Buildings Health and Performance Benefits Part 2
Green Building Economic BenefitsGreen Building Social Benefits
Green School Buildings: The Many Benefits of Natural Lighting
Green School Buildings: The Many Benefits of Ventilation
25 Blogs Leading the Sustainable Building Revolution
Green Campus Student Resources
NYU's Energy Efficient Power Generation
Obama's Jobs Plan Emphasizes Education and Greener Schools
Suffolk University's Green Efforts Include Building Design
Green School Rejuvenates Dying Town
LAUSD Green School Initiatives
Da Vinci Arts Middle School in Portland
New York's Leed Certified Universities

Read More»

Sierra's 2011 List of Cool Green Schools Points West

For many years early settlers of America went west seeking opportunities and Sierra's 2011 list of green schools once again points west. According to Sierra magazine’s fifth-annual ranking of the nation’s “Coolest” schools, some of the most eco-conscious colleges are out West.

Sierra's list indicates that many of the greenest schools in America are located on the West Coast (7 out of the top 10). The University of California has an astounding four schools in the top 10.

Due in part to the fact that they do not get any of their energy from coal, the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle was ranked as the best school overall. Hydropower provides 90 percent of the energy at UW. All of UW's building constructed after 2006 are LEED Certified, all new appliance purchases are Energy-Star rated, and recycling is everywhere.

A special mention goes to number 9 ranked schoool, Evergreen College in Olympia, Washington, which plans to go carbon neutral by 2020.

Sierra's rating system has nine categories: energy, efficiency, food, academics, purchasing, transportation, waste management, administration, and financial investment, as well as a tenth miscellaneous category.

Here is the list of the top 20 green schools, as ranked by Sierra magazine:

1. University of Washington (Seattle, Wash.)
2. Green Mountain College (Poultney, Vt.)
3. University of California, San Diego (San Diego, Calif.)
4. Warren Wilson College (Asheville, N.C.)
5. Stanford University (Stanford, Calif.)
6. University of California, Irvine (Irvine, Calif.)
7. University of California, Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, Calif.)
8. University of California, Davis (Davis, Calif.)
9. Evergreen State College (Olympia, Wash.)
10. Middlebury College (Middlebury, Vt.)

11. University of New Hampshire
12. Appalachian State University
13. Colby College
14. Western Washington University
15. University of California, Los Angeles
16. University of Connecticut
17. Clark University
18. Cornell University
19. Bowdoin College
20. University of Maryland

To see where your school ranked, go to Sierra's list of Cool Schools.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Related Posts
Sierra's Top 100 Cool Green Schools (2010)
Sierra Magazine's Top 10 Green Schools (2009)
Green Schools are Cool (2009)
Sierra's Top 5 Insider Reader Stories (2011)
The Princeton Review's 2012 Top Green Schools Honor Role
Princeton's Green Schools Honor Roll (2009)
The Princeton Review Green Colleges Honor Role (2010)
The Princeton Review Green Schools Honor Roll (2009)
The Green Market's Green Schools Series 2010
Searchable Environmental Education Resources
Green School Census
Find Sustainable Education at GreenDegreeDirectory
CareerOneStop’s Environmental Education Finder
The Green Education Foundation for K-12 Students
Green Education Foundation Programs for K-12 Students
The Sustainability Education Series from Green Education Online
Green Education Online Training
Green Training Modules From Green Education Online
Social Business at Blue Planet Life
Blue Planet Academy Green Certificate Programs
Blue Planet Academy Environmental Training in the Developing World
Sustainable Certificates from Irvine Valley College
Harvard Corporate Sustainability Distance Learning Course
E-Learning Course on the Legal Frameworks of Sustainability
Course Descriptions for Green Courses at San Diego State University College of Extended Studies
Green Education at San Diego State University College of Extended Studies
Conestoga College Post Graduate Environmental Engineering
Top Five Green Master Degree Programs
Ashridge Masters in Sustainability and Responsibility
Hult International Business School Launches Master in Social Entrepreneurship
Online Green MBA Programs
US Green MBA Program Directory
World's Best Green MBA Programs
Stony Brook University's Sustainability focused BA Degrees
Harvard Corporate Sustainability Distance Learning Course
Green Schools are Bridging the Knowledge Gap
Sustainable Education is Key to Accessing the Green Economy
Green Memes and Schools
Back to School Environmental Tool Kit
Back to School: Green Curriculums (2009)
Top 10 US Environmental Programs (2009)
The Shining Stars of Green Schools (2009)

Read More»