Does anyone else agree with me that pushing for LEED on the cornerstone arts building did little more than buy us an expensive plaque for the front door? In fact in order to cover the costs of certification they had to actually cut out certain options that would have made the building more sustainable, such as a heat recovery device for the HVAC system.
Due to this i propose that next year Enact/CC urbanists should draft up a series of building guidelines for new buildings and building renovations at colorado college.
for more information on the problems with LEED check out this article written by Randy Udall about why he has given up on the idea of LEED certification in favor of better options.
http://www.igreenbuild.com/cd_1706.aspx
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4 comments:
I think the real $ value of building with LEED regulations isn't the power, heat, water savings... With schools like Oberlin, Harvard and Carleton committing to LEED certified building standards, CC needs the PR to draw environmentally conscious students. Although I agree with you that the Cornstone basic LEED certification is superfluous and unnecessary, a plaque is worth a lot to both the admissions office and allumni relations people. As an institution we must demonstrate that we are making efforts to build sustainability; LEAD is an easy, yet expensive indicator of thoughtful design. I whole heartedly agree with you about formulating a CC buildings code, but I think we need to follow the leader and LEED certify if our competitors are are as well. On a separate note we need to investigate solar financing options in Colorado and get some damn solar pannels on Tutt. Much Love
Maybe we could come up with another set of standards, unique to Colorado and Colorado College. The CC building code, thus saving money on LEED and gaining recognition for our innovative approach. Fits with the block plan. Experimental.
sounds good wiley,
i still think that there are better green certification options out there than LEED.
p.s. read that damn article that i posted
Ya you are right, I will read article.
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