Mission Statement

As Grinnell implements the next iteration of its campus plan, it should signal its intention by committing to a completely new paradigm. This means insuring that the future growth and improvement of Grinnell’s physical infrastructure is good, environmentally sustainable growth rather than growth that is merely an incremental improvement from the old.

1. Green Building

“Good growth” starts with the design of newly planned buildings, particularly the new library project. The following steps should be taken:

1. Action: The Grinnell College President and Board of Trustees should adopt a policy that “all future construction and major renovations on campus must be designed and constructed in conformance with at least the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver standard.”

This is the critical step –  achieving sustainability is not about retroactively fulfilling some sort of point quota in order to earn a base-level LEED certification, it’s about imbuing your design with inherent eco-intelligence.

Many of our peer institutions with significantly smaller endowments have already adopted this policy, both in the completion of current buildings or the planning of new ones. Peer institutions that have adopted this policy includ

• Oberlin College’s Lewis Center for Environmental Etudies creates more energy than it consumes with a 3,700 square foot photovoltaic array.
• Completed in 1999, the Lewis Center has earned the school national attention and acclaim. The building was designed by William McDonough and Partners, Lev Zetlin and Associates, Steven Winter Associates, the Rocky Mountain Institutes, Hal Levin, and Living Machines.
• Importantly, Oberlin College built the center with the insight that green buildings also have an instrumental, educational function – they teach and instill the importance of sustainability. From Oberlin’s website:

“We intend the Adam Joseph Lewis Center to be more than just a demonstration. It is a means to the larger end of improving how creatively we think. In the century ahead all of those who will be educated here must learn how to:

• Power society by sunlight and stabilize climate,
  • Disinvent the concept of waste and build prosperity within the limits of natural systems — in ways that can be sustained over the long term,
  • Preserve biological diversity and restore damaged ecosystems, and
  • Do these things while advancing the causes of justice and nonviolence.

To these ends the Adam Joseph Lewis Center will serve as a part of the larger education of the Oberlin community aimed to promote the practical skills and analytic abilities necessary to reweave the human presence in the world.”

1. Renovating in Green

Statement of purpose

While the green building craze has become a virtual industry standard in new construction – over 5,000 buildings are currently awaiting an evaluation to be LEED certified – the trend has not caught on with renovation of existing buildings. With a major renovation scheduled for the Alumni Recitation Hall, and the potential for one in Burling Library and other buildings, the same amount of attention should be placed on adding energy efficient features and the use of sustainable materials in these endeavors as was done with Phase II of Noyce and the Athletic Center. If the college wants to make a commitment to address climate change and conservation efforts, existing buildings hold the most potential. Further, small renovations such as replacing carpeting or light fixtures in dorms should be guided by LEED’s standards for operations and maintenance. By establishing and implementing a comprehensive standard for renovating and maintaining existing buildings, Grinnell can exhibit a level of leadership and innovation that is not possible through new construction alone.

Why renovate Green?

• It is almost always more sustainable to gut a building than to demolish it based on the waste produced by an increased level of demolished materials and emissions during demolition and a complete rebuilding
• Many green building materials such as for roofs increase the life of the building and come with a fifty year warranty
• Improved insulation can protect the building from being infiltrated by pests and require smaller HVAC systems, ultimately saving money in the short and long run,
• Green buildings not only save water and energy but improve air quality, protecting the health of students, faculty and staff, increasing productivity and reducing absenteeism

Improving and standardizing operations and maintenance practices

• The LEED for Existing Buildings Rating System helps building owners and operators measure operations, improvements and maintenance on a consistent scale
• It achieves the goal of maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts.
• LEED for Existing Buildings addresses whole-building cleaning and maintenance issues (including chemical use), recycling programs, exterior maintenance programs, and systems upgrades.
• It can be applied both to existing buildings seeking LEED certification for the first time and to projects previously certified under LEED for New Construction, Schools, or Core & Shell.

Case Studies:

Denison University’s Bryant Arts Center has been recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council with a LEED Gold certification.

• The 105-year-old building, which was originally constructed as a gymnasium named Cleveland Hall, underwent a $14 million three-year renovation and reopened in fall 2009 as the Bryant Arts Center.
• A team of architects, engineers, and contractors worked together to choose designs, materials, and methods that meet LEED guidelines. Green highlights of this building include the re-use of original materials, efficient plumbing, reduced light pollution, and a state-of-the-art system to measure energy consumption.

Johns Hopkins University’s Gilman Hall is being renovated in the summer of 2010 currently targeting a LEED Silver rating.

• The architect for the project is R.M. Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects, with Steven Winter Associates, Inc. (SWA) serving as sustainability consultant.
• SWA has worked with the design team to ensure that the historic appearance of this iconic 92-year old building will not be affected by the high performance improvements. The building is targeting a LEED energy cost reduction of at least 24% through improvements to the building envelope, HVAC systems and lighting.
• New paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, carpets, composite wood and agrifiber products will be low in the emission of volatile organic compounds, with the intent of improving indoor air quality

Emory University’s Candler Library strived to think in new and innovative ways to design and construct a building which conserves energy, water and helped to preserve the natural environment and achieved a LEED Silver rating.

• Heating and cooling requirements were reduced by over 30% by careful selection of building system components, insulation and building automation and control devices.  Energy savings were also realized by utilizing variable speed motors and occupancy sensors.
• Local and Regional Materials 43% of the new raw building materials used in constructing Candler Library were manufactured within 500 miles of the job site thus reducing transportation costs and supporting the local economy. Over 50% of the locally manufactured materials were harvested regionally.

Recommendations:

1. Require all renovations costing more than fifty percent of building replacement to be rated LEED Silver. Budget planning and life cycle cost analysis to achieve a higher rating of gold or platinum should be encouraged.
2. Set a goal of achieving a 100% LEED certified campus by a specific date.
3. Adopt a consistent scale against which minor improvements and maintenance practices can be measured and update this standard annually
4. University capital project managers currently managing or likely to manage projects should be required to attend relevant introductory LEED training and annual follow-up training sessions.
5. Hire either an experienced green architecture firm or consultant to effectively implement new and reliable technologies.