The report by the local FOX affiliate highlighted the features at Richard W. Sankey Hall, which opened in 2018 and was recently certified as LEED silver.
A report by FOX 8 has put a spotlight on "green" construction on Elon's campus, which during the past decade has seen 30 projects achieve LEED certification for adhering to "green" building standards.
LEED certifications are issued by the U.S. Green Building Council and recognize construction projects that meet standards for sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, innovation in design and regional priority credits.
Elon’s achievement of 30 LEED certifications is largely due to Elon’s Green Building Policy, which states that new construction projects and major renovations more than 8,000 square feet will achieve LEED certification. Most of Elon’s projects have received LEED Silver; however, Elon also has 10 LEED Gold certifications (4 of which are LEED for Homes) and 6 LEED for Homes Platinum certifications.
In its report, FOX 8 highlighted various features of Richard W. Sankey Hall, such as the fact that the south side of the building features more opportunities to capture the sunlight through large windows and glass walls that can then reflect into classroom spaces on the north side of the building, thus increasing natural light and reducing energy costs associated with lighting. The 30,000-square-foot, three-story building opened in 2018.
Brad Moore, university architect and director of planning, design and construction management, and Director of Sustainability Elaine Durr talked with reporter Charles Ewing about how the project fits into the broader sustainability goals at Elon.
"During construction, sending less waste to the landfill — those are great things not only for our university, but the broader community, and things we'll need to be thinking about now, but as we move forward, are even more important," Durr told Ewing.
Watch the entire segment here.