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Redefining Green Building Design

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Williams Village North, CU-Boulder's newest residence hall, has received a LEED platinum rating from the United States Green Building Council. The 500-bed residence hall is the first of its size in the nation to rank platinum.

LEED certification is a U.S. benchmark for sustainable building design, construction, operation and maintenance. The $46.5 million Williams Village North, with 131,246 gross square feet, is projected to be nearly 40 percent more energy and water efficient than modern code-compliant buildings of the same size.

In a building that gets 12.5 percent of its energy from onsite solar panels, Williams Village North residents have a hand in controlling the flow of electricity. They can shut off power to nonessential and not-in-use outlets with single switches installed in each room. Residents can monitor electricity using meters and information kiosks in the building.

The site has low-flow water fixtures installed in sinks, showers and toilets, and native landscaping that requires little or no watering. Other green features include energy-efficient lighting with daylight harvesting, advanced heat-recovery systems and low-volatile organic compound materials.

The building is home to two Residential Academic Programs (RAPS)-Sustainable by Design and Social Entrepreneurship for Equitable Development and Sustainability.

CU-Boulder has eight other structures that are LEED gold rated and another with a silver designation. All future new or renovated buildings on campus will be at least LEED gold rated, with the goal of seeking LEED platinum whenever possible.

- Elizabeth Lock and Kenna Bruner, University Communications