COD's Cravens Student Services Centre bags LEED Gold
The Cravens Student Services Centre at College of the Desert (COD) in California, US has secured LEED Gold from the US Green Building Council.
The facility has been designed by DLR Group WWCOT Architects Pam Touschner and Dennis Tanida and developed by C. W. Driver. It is the first Desert Community College District building to receive the certification. The two-level structure spanning 48,132 square feet opened in April 2010.
The centre has been designed to allow maximum penetration of natural light inside. It has been equipped with several energy-saving equipment, fixtures, and building systems such as fluorescent lamps which reduce its energy consumption for lighting. The light system incorporated in the facility surpasses standards by over 25%. It consists of photovoltaics which generate 7.5% of its energy. Water usage is decreased with installation of low-flow plumbing fixtures, and xeriscape landscaping.
The building features an upgraded refrigerant management system. It also makes use of low-VOC paint, carpet, particleboard, adhesives and sealants to improve indoor air quality. A minimum of 20% of reclaimed materials have been used during the construction process of the building. Among the property's other green features include procuring its materials from within 500 miles of the project site, and recycling or otherwise diverting about 75% of all jobsite construction and demolition waste from landfills.
