UW Tacoma's Russell T. Joy Building wins LEED Platinum
The Russell T. Joy Building of University of Washington (UW) Tacoma in Tacoma, Washington, has received LEED Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council.
The 1892-built facility has been designed by THA Architecture and developed by Korsmo Construction. It is the first in the University and in Tacoma to bag the certification. The building features classrooms, and retail units facing Pacific Avenue on the first storey while employing several sustainable measures.
The design of the building, constructed on a brownfield site, offers natural light penetration in 90% of its occupied areas. This, coupled with other energy-efficient features, leads to a 49.7% reduction in energy usage. The building also features various water-efficient systems which reap water cost cuts of 43.6%.
The wood used in the facility is 100% Forest Stewardship Council-certified. The materials used during the construction process contain 22.7% of reclaimed content whereas 83.9% of the building structure has been recycled. The facility has also reclaimed 95.1% of its construction debris, procured 20.3% of materials within 500 miles of the project site, and conducted green cleaning programmes. Installation of charging stations for electric vehicles along with 56 bike storage areas boost the green initiative.
