Developed by the US Green Building Council, LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The LEED Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark to recognize buildings and building owners whose goal is to reduce the impact on the environment and minimize energy consumption.
Van Andel Institute’s Phase II building expansion is LEED certified at the Platinum level, which means that both the design and construction of the building will incorporate green, or sustainable, features.
Sustainable features include:
- Triple pane insulated glass with low-E coatings on two surfaces keeps winter heat in and reduces summer solar heat gain
- Sun shades on the café glass wall reduce solar heat gain during the summer when the sun in higher in the sky
- High-albedo (light-colored) roof coverings reflect the sun’s heat and reduce the heat island effect.
- Photovoltaic panels on the roof of the new and existing building provide power to implement a peak shaving plan reducing energy demands during the hottest days of summer
- Heat recovery system designs reclaim heat from equipment to reduce heating demand loads on HVAC equipment
- Low-flow toilet fixtures reduces the demand for potable water by more than 40%, also reducing the demand on the sanitary waste system
- Each floor is equipped with lockers, showers and changing facilities to encourage alternative forms of transportation for staff including; public transportation (the Rapid ECO bus), bicycle commuters and pedestrians.
- Daylight controls automatically reduce lighting levels in the building to reduce energy consumption
- Intelligent Building Controls, right-sizing of equipment and system commissioning reduce overall energy usage, provide feedback on system performance, and identify areas for improvements
- Green roofs and ivy walls provide reduced heat island effect, control rainwater runoff, and provide improved views in the urban environment
- The 33,000 gallon rainwater storage tank stores roof runoff for use in irrigation and cooling tower make-up water, reducing the requirement for potable water
- The project redevelops a Brownfield urban site
- The construction team has diverted over 79% of the construction waste from landfills
- The use of locally manufactured materials keeps money in the community and reduces energy costs and greenhouse gases generated by shipping and transportation of materials
- Materials with high recycled content reduce VOCs generated during the manufacturing process and reduce pressure on landfills
- Products with low-VOC content improve indoor air quality during construction and during occupancy
- Electronically transmitted drawings and project information reduce the paper load, saving trees, water and file storage requirements
- Facility-wide, employee-initiated recycling programs and sustainable purchasing policies improve the work environment and reduce the overall carbon footprint of the Van Andel Institute.
- The facility is served by four public bus lines with an aggregate of over 200 rides per day, thereby permitting staff and visitors to avoid parking costs and save motor fuel energy
