ISU Expansion Awarded Platinum Certification
AMES, Iowa — The King Pavilion addition to the Iowa State University College of Design was awarded LEED Platinum certification, marking the first higher education facility in the state to reach the pinnacle of the LEED system.
The $6.6 million, 27,735-square-foot facility houses instructional studios used by freshman and sophomores enrolled in architecture, landscape architecture and interior design.
"In the King Pavilion, designers have brought together scientific knowledge and technical innovations to create an environment that inspires and supports our academic activities — a space both poetic and pragmatic," says Luis Rico-Gutierrez, dean of design. "That is the power of design, and a tangible example of what faculty, students and staff in the college of design stand for."
RDG Planning & Design of Des Moines designed the expansion. The project scored 53 points out of a possible 69 points on the LEED scale, including exemplary performance points for daylighting, water efficiency and recycled content.
The facility exceeds the LEED system’s 75 percent daylighting benchmark with clerestory windows on both levels and a light monitor that is designed to reduce the use of artificial light. Occupancy sensors also monitor interior spaces to adjust temperature and ventilation.
"According to our energy model, the King Pavilion will save a little more than $22,000 per year in energy — about $1 per square foot — over a code baseline," says Michael Andresen, RDG intern architect and the LEED Accredited Professional on the project. "If you imagine ISU’s millions of square footage and the potential of saving $1 per square foot, it begins to put into perspective the impact that sustainability can have on a larger scale."
The pavilion was awarded another exemplary performance point for achieving a 50 percent water-usage reduction compared to a traditionally built structure. Dual-flush toilets, automatic sink faucets and low-flow urinals, are a few of the conservation measures installed in the new facility.
The facility’s third exemplary point was awarded for the use of recycled materials for 32 percent of construction materials. Builders utilized 75 percent recycled steel, recycled blue jean insulation, recycled plastics and restroom countertops made of 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper.
The King Pavilion is one of only eight LEED Platinum buildings in higher education at public institutions in the United States, according to planners. It is the second LEED certified building on the ISU campus. The ACT Data Center in Iowa City is the only other Platinum-certified facility in the state.
"We used a number of new technologies on this building that haven’t been used on campus before, and it will help us demonstrate how sustainable design provides a great learning environment,” says Kerry Dixon-Fox, project manager and an architect with ISU facilities planning and management.