We are pleased to announce The Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University has earned LEED® Platinum Certification as established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) verified the certification. LEED is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
We designed the Milken Institute SPH in response to the USGBC’s efforts to promote and encourage the design, construction and operation of high-performance sustainable buildings, and George Washington University was strongly committed to this goal, as well. The project aims to provide a healthy environment for those who use the building, working in conjunction with the mission of the school.
The 161,000 GSF building, which opened earlier this month, will house all seven of the School of Public Health departments in order to encourage more interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty and students. The project features a number of key sustainability components, including a green roof, native plantings, low-flow plumbing fixtures, lighting controls, C02 monitoring and local, rapidly renewable and recycled content materials, such as bamboo wall paneling. The building’s HVAC systems consist of both active chilled beam and mass air displacement technologies.
Northeastern EXP features an organic pinwheel design, shaping research and classroom neighborhoods with shared community spaces radiating from the core to define each area. The building façade was tuned to achieve a 78% reduction in peak solar heat gain and a 62% reduction in cumulative solar radiation leading to energy use reductions and reduced mechanical system sizing. The use of stainless steel further leads to an embodied carbon reduction of almost one million tons when compared to aluminum while the natural stainless surface reflects light in a natural and warm tone giving the building an inherent energy.
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