Campus sustainability programs today focus largely on recycling, energy, and water conservation measures; reduction of harmful chemicals and pesticides, and so on. These measures, along with other measurable and third-party-verified building performance considerations, are all included in the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance green building rating system. Many universities don’t realize that LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance can be applied across multiple buildings, but it can. It’s not about constructing one building at a time; it is about implementing measures across a portfolio of buildings that can meet and exceed the LEED credits and prerequisites, and with LEED, the practices and measures that make buildings perform better quickly become second nature.

Campuses of higher education are perfectly suited to apply holistic, portfolio-wide green building strategies as part of their campus sustainability efforts. With their commitment to innovation, their abundant supply of energetic young people intent on becoming the leaders of the future and insistent on attending schools that share their values, and their large stock of buildings of all ages, uses and types, colleges and universities are quickly becoming the driving force behind overall market transformation. And green buildings on campus give back to the school and the community, as they can serve as living laboratories and provide active, hands-on learning opportunities.

The integrated-design approach has become synonymous with sustainability. In higher education, an integrated approach to greening a campus is critical for achieving the ultimate goal of a sustainable campus. All members of the community have a part in the process, and there are great opportunities for cross-departmental collaborations. Buildings and grounds offer a fertile environment for curriculum development and research, particularly in terms of sustainable technologies and strategies.

Campus Master Plan

One of the first steps to greening a campus is to review the campus master plan and identify strategies for integrating sustainability into design standards and long-range development plans. Master plans look at the future growth and development of a site and the infrastructure needed to support the inevitable construction. Plans should consider opportunities to increase density and retain open areas for natural habitat, thus promoting biodiversity. Comprehensive stormwater management techniques should include best management practices of retaining stormwater runoff on-site through strategies such as the collection of rainwater, increased pervious surfaces, bioswales, constructed wetlands, and vegetated roofs. Institutions should consider discouraging parking development and employing alternative methods of transportation, such as campus shuttles and infrastructure that enables and promotes biking, while creating a pedestrian-friendly environment.

As part of the University of California, Merced campus master plan, a large portion of land has been set aside as a natural reserve to remain undeveloped for the life of the campus. The future growth will take place in the southwestern corner of the university’s property near the town of Merced, building on existing infrastructure and helping to increase density while retaining open space and protecting habitats.

Campus Performance Plan

Unlike a campus master plan, which looks at the future growth and development on a campus, a campus performance plan focuses on how the campus is functioning in terms of energy, water, and material consumption. In establishing a campus performance plan, institutions will need to assess their energy and water usage, review policies and practices such as purchasing, cleaning, and solid waste management, and begin to set up methods for measuring and monitoring these areas. LEED provides a framework to help guide the development of performance plans. Performance plans should include best management practices, such as metering and ongoing commissioning, and should establish schedules for energy improvements such as mechanical upgrades, roof replacements, and lighting retrofits.

Student Involvement in LEED

LEED offers a certification path which can be done completely in-house and by members of the campus community, including students. By engaging students in the process, institutions can lower documentation costs, provide valuable professional experience to students, and build institutional knowledge of LEED.

At the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), former graduate student of the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, Jordan Sager, managed the institution’s twenty-five buildings pursuing certification under LEED for Existing Buildings v2.0. Sager also led the long-term greenhouse gas management for UCSB, including the purchasing of renewable energy credits.

On the new construction front, the institution recently received LEED for New Construction Gold certification for the San Clemente Graduate Student Housing Project.This project is a great example of an integrated approach to sustainability, as it involved all members of the community, including students.

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD), is also realizing what a valuable resource their students are in putting the school’s sustainability values into practice for real-life gains on campus. “UCSD campus facilities management has been committed to successfully implementing the green building policy, but with tight budgets and limited manpower, they needed a way to keep costs down and maximize staff time,” Building Commissioning & Sustainability Director David Weil wrote in USGBC’s March 2009 Higher Education Update e-newsletter. The solution? Student interns. A team of green campus and engineering interns employed by campus facilities management has since played an integral role in seeking LEED certification for the UCSD Campus Services Complex under version 2.0 of the LEED for Existing Buildings rating system. With responsibilities ranging from credit-pursuit selection to documentation preparation, students were the key to the success of the project.

And at Duke University, the Home Depot Smart Home was built as a live-in research lab. It achieved LEED for New Construction Platinum certification in June, 2008. The project was conceived of as part of a student thesis and is now run by students living in the home. During the course of the project, more than 450 students were involved in some aspect of it, and several represented Duke as part of the project team. 

Establishment of an Office of Sustainability

Another step toward green building success on campus is the creation of an office of sustain- ability. Harvard University is a fine example of an institution that has established an office of sustainability and is building in-house knowledge and expertise. Since its inception in 2001, the office has grown to a staff of more than fifteen and offers a multitude of services, ranging from green building to green financing, through a revolving loan fund.

The road to a green campus will differ for each higher education institution, but the most important thing is to take the first steps, then keep moving forward.

About the Author:

Doug Gatlin is vice president for market development at the U.S. Green Building Council, overseeing the family of LEED rating systems in all major commercial market segments and managing overall customer relations for LEED and the council’s new pilot initiative, the Portfolio Program. He has sixteen years’ experience in energy and environmental policy and has worked on climate-change response strategies and voluntary pollution-prevention programs.

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