It's not always easy to make the choice to build sustainably or green-certified, but it's definitely the right choice for Alma College, as evidenced by their recent LEED certifications.
LEED is a green building certification that takes into account materials, design, the construction process, employees, and waste management of the building project, and certifies buildings based on the sustainability and environmental awareness applied to their construction.
Alma College used LEED principles in renovating the Hogan Center and building the new Art Smith Arena this past year, and just recently got verification that the buildings have been awarded LEED silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council and the Green Building Certification Institute.
"From the very beginning of the Hogan project, we committed to designing the facility to be our first LEED-certified building for sustainable construction," says Alma College President Jeff Abernathy. "I'm pleased that the building models environmental commitments that match the values of Alma College."
The Hogan Center is the first LEED-certified building in Alma and in Gratiot County. It was designed by The Collaborative, Inc., engineered by MacMillan Associates, and built by Wolgast Corporation.
It was certified for energy use, lighting, water and material use, such as the recycled content in ceiling panels, carpet, floor tiles, bleachers and subflooring, as well as Energy Star-compliant roofing and a GreenPlay sustainable hardwood basketball floor.
The center renovations cost $10.6 million and renovated the locker rooms and athletic training space, the pool, offices and classrooms, and added the 29,000-square-foot arena.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Jeff Abernathy, Alma College
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