With the new green certification, Ithaca College’ has become the only academic institution in the world besides Yale University, to have two newly constructed LEED-Platinum rated buildings on their campus. Ithaca College’s Dorothy D. and Roy H. Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise, which houses Ithaca College’s School of Business, previously won LEED Platinum level.
The 58,000 square feet Peggy Ryan Williams Center was also dubbed as the ‘Gateway’ building in its design phase, since it accommodates Admissions and Human Resources and senior administrative offices. The building also features a large atrium overlooking Cayuga Lake and a multipurpose auditorium.
Designed by HOLT Architects and built by Christa Construction, the PRW Center, opened in late 2009 has been conceived by adhering to the highest of sustainability principles. The building reflects an experiential design, envisaged through the movement of people into, around and through the spaces as they arrive, assemble and depart. Various windows throughout the building offer beautiful views of the lake, the landscape and the campus.
Sustainable practices for site selection, reduced energy and resource consumption, and enhanced indoor environmental quality have been followed. Geothermal heating and cooling, which utilises the earth’s relatively consistent temperature; use of sustainable and local materials; controlled natural lighting; nearly 6,500 square feet of green roofs; porous pavement and low maintenance native grasses are some of the eco-friendly and energy-efficient elements employed.
About 50% of the building’s energy comes from renewable sources, with a geothermal system using the earth’s relatively consistent temperature to provide heating and cooling. A 12,000-gallon tank is constructed below the garden to collect rainwater from the roof. This water will serve over 85% of the building’s yearly water needs.
