Binghamton University building earns LEED Platinum status

VESTAL — Binghamton University’s Engineering and Science Building has received LEED Platinum certification, the highest possible ranking given by the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green-building certification program.

 

The $66 million academic and research facility opened in November 2011. The two-story glass, metal, and stone structure was built using state-of-the-art, innovative, energy-conservation measures, according to a news release from the university. Tracie Hall, executive director of the U.S. Green Building Council New York Upstate Chapter, presented Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger with a plaque certifying the building’s “Platinum” status.

 

“We are thrilled that our efforts have paid off and the Engineering and Science Building is now officially a LEED Platinum facility,” Stenger said in a news release. “This certification does not happen by accident. It was a concerted effort by our university staff and our design and construction partners to make sure this building meets and even exceeds the highest standards of energy efficiency.”

 

In New York state, only 30 buildings have received LEED Platinum certification, according to the release. Just nine buildings on college campuses in New York have earned this status, and Binghamton University’s Engineering and Science Building is only the second building in the SUNY System to achieve the LEED Platinum designation, Binghamton University said.

 

LEED is a program developed by the USGBC. It provides third-party verification of green buildings. Building projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. Prerequisites and credits differ for each rating system, and teams choose the best fit for the project, the release explained.

 

“The achievement of LEED Platinum for the new Engineering and Science Building is in the top 3 percent of all LEED 2.2 New Construction activities in the United States and in the top 5 percent of all activities in New York state,” the USGBC’s Hall said in the news release. “The USGBC New York Upstate Chapter commends President Harvey G. Stenger, the trustees, and the project team for their work in providing this amazing facility for the staff, faculty and students of Binghamton University.”

 

The Engineering and Science Building is connected to the Biotechnology Building, which is part of the university’s Innovative Technologies Complex, future home to the Center of Excellence and Smart Energy Research buildings. The Engineering and Science Building houses the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science dean’s office and the school’s departments of electrical and computer engineering and mechanical engineering. It also houses state-of-the-art laboratory space, according to the university’s news release.

 

Funding for the building was obtained through the efforts of state Sen. Thomas W. Libous and state Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, according to the university.

 

The building was designed by the university’s own architect William H. Hall. From the outset, the plan was for this building to achieve LEED Platinum status, Binghamton University said. To reach that achievement, Hall and members of Physical Facilities Design Team incorporated passive solar energy for heating and geothermal technology for heating and cooling. It also includes the latest technology for heat recovery and humidity control, according to the university.

 

From the moment someone approaches the building, the energy-efficient features are obvious, Binghamton University contends. Photovoltaic panels cover the south-facing exterior wall of the building. The interior halls are brightly lit by sunshine that streams through energy-efficient skylights manufactured with special panels to allow for maximum use of daylight, the release stated. Rows and rows of solar panels dot the top of the building, and green-roof applications are also part of it.

 

 

 

Contact Carbonaro at mcarbonaro@cnybj.com

 

 

 

PHOTO CREDIT: Binghamton University — photo by Jonathan Cohen

 

 

 

PHOTO CAPTION: Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger, left, accepts the LEED Platinum plaque from Tracie Hall, executive director of the U.S. Green Building Council New York Upstate Chapter, right.