News

The new engineering building in the Northwest Center for Engineering, Science and Technology has just been awarded Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The LEED Green Building Rating System^® is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard, created by the U.S. Green Building Council, for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.

LEED certification evaluates building performance in six categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation and Design Process.

Four LEED ratings are available—Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum—depending on a project’s point total. All credits submitted for the new engineering building were approved for a score of 45; certification as Gold requires a score in the range of 39-51. Portland State University currently has two Silver LEED certified buildings, Stephen E. Epler Hall and The Broadway (a student residence).

The engineering building boasts such resource-saving features as natural ventilation of its five-story atrium, a rainwater harvesting system that supplies water for toilets, natural lighting, and a geothermal heating and air conditioning system based on deep underground aquifers.

Another Gold LEED certified structure in Portland shares a common donor and supporter—the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center (The Ecotrust Building). Jean Vollum is also a major donor to the Northwest Center for Engineering, Science and Technology. The Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center, a restored historic 1895 warehouse, was the first Gold LEED certified historic building in the country.

The project team for the Northwest Center included Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership; Lease Crutcher Lewis; Gerding | Edlen Development Company; PAE Consulting Engineers, Inc; KPFF Consulting Engineers; and several professional consultants.

Gold LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council recognizes the work of the project team and the University’s efforts to support sustainable development and practices, both academically and in facility planning.