2009-2010 News Stories
Student Center Recognized for Green Design
6.25.09
New Students’ Center Receives LEED Gold Rating
–Building Singled Out for Sustainability and Environmental Quality–
Purchase, N.Y. (June 24, 2009) – Manhattanville College announces that the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, has granted the Richard A. Berman Students’ Center a Gold Rating.
The rigorous and detailed LEED rating report for the Students’ Center singled out several noteworthy sustainability practices, including water efficiency, energy performance, design innovation and indoor environmental quality.
“As evidenced by this marvelous recognition for our wonderful, environmentally sound building, Manhattanville retains a strong programmatic interest in sustainability and responsible stewardship of our natural resources,” said Richard Berman, outgoing President of Manhattanville College.
“The Center symbolizes our commitment to educating our community about the importance of sustainability,” added Dr. Molly Easo Smith, incoming president of the College; “it is part of a wide tapestry of environmental accomplishments on our campus, which includes a program in Environmental Science, the Ohnell Environmental Center, and our beautiful stone church redesigned by Maya Lin,” she added.
The stunning new Student Center, completed in 2008, designed by Peter Gisolfi Associates, an award-winning architectural firm in Hastings-on-Hudson, N. Y., houses a performance center, fitness facility, lounge, dance studio, radio station, and art gallery. It is constructed of natural, locally obtained, non-toxic materials. Solar collectors generate over 10 percent of the building’s electricity and it requires a little less than half of the total energy needed by a code compliant building of the same size.
LEED is a voluntary, consensus-based standard to support and certify successful green building design, construction and operations and promotes integrated, whole-building design practices in the building industry. As a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for high performance green buildings, LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.