Carole Sandner Hall was recently certified LEED Gold by the United States Green Building Council. The building, opened in the summer of 2011 as the new home for the Alliance for Catholic Education, is the sixth on campus to receive LEED certification. Carole Sandner Hall features the following sustainable design and construction practices:
- It saves 172,032 kWh per year in electrical energy use versus a conventionally designed building, equating to 120 tons of CO2 annually.
- Its irrigation system uses 59% less water than a traditional irrigation system design.
- The building uses 60% less water, resulting in a water savings of 121,180 gallons of water per year.
- 97% of the construction debris generated was diverted from a landfill and recycled into new materials.
- One quarter of the building’s nonmechanical systems were constructed using recycled materials.
- Almost a third of the building’s nonmechanical systems were produced within 500 miles of the building.
- Low volatile organic compound paints, sealants, adhesives and carpets were used throughout the building.
- The building design provides a direct view to the exterior for more than 90% of its occupants.
- The mechanical systems use variable speed pumps and fans in conjunction with occupancy sensors to adjust the temperature in each space following the University’s temperature set point policy.
- The building utilizes a fully integrated lighting controls system that is capable of programming occupied hours to automatically shut off the lights during nonbusiness hours.
- Light fixtures automatically dim or grow brighter as the amount of sunlight increases or decreases in a particular space to allow the brightness of a space to remain constant while reducing energy usage.
- Environmentally friendly cleaning products and pest management practices are used throughout the building.
Carole Sandner Hall connects to the historic Institute for Educational Initiatives building. The hall is at the heart of campus adjacent to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the Grotto and the Main Building.
Other LEED-certified buildings at Notre Dame include the Joyce Center’s Purcell Pavilion, Innovation Park, Stinson-Remick Hall, Geddes Hall and Ryan Hall.
A previous version of this article was originally published by at newsinfo.nd.edu on April 19, 2012.