Merry Lea's Collegiate Facility

Sustainable Features

The architect's sketch above shows two of the seven cottages that will be part of Merry Lea's future collegiate facility. Each will house up to eight students. Both the cottages and the academic building will consume less than a third of the energy conventional buildings of the same size require. All water used in the buildings will be purified onsite and recycled. Click at left to learn more about the sustainable features that will make these buildings some of the most efficient in the country.

LEED: What Is a LEED Rated Building?

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system for buildings was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council for the U.S. Department of Energy. This rating system sets standards for the environmental and economic performance of commerciaql buildings. LEED certification is to sustainable building what accreditation is to a quality academic program: it clarifies goals and validates good work.

The LEED rating system provides a project checklist of 69 possible points and recommends strategies that enable a building project to earn these points. Points are awarded in the categories of sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor air quality and innovation and design process.

For example, to earn the full three points awarded for renewable energy use, the collegiate facility must generate at least 20% of its own energy using solar or wind power. To earn the point awarded for measurement and verification, planners will design the building with equipment to measure energy and water performance and compare predicted savings with those actually achieved. To earn the full two points awarded for landscaping, only captured rainwater or recycled site water can be used for irrigation. Needless to say, adhering to the LEED standards and applying for certification requires extensive planning and rigorous record-keeping.

The U.S. Green Building Council certifies buildings at four levels: certified, silver, gold and platinum. Only 21 U.S. buildings have attained certification as of September 2002, and only two of those have been granted platinum-level certification. Merry Lea's design team is aiming to earn the 52 points possible for platinum certification.