Sustainability

Buildings

The Design Guidelines adopted by the SIU Board of Trustees on Jan. 23, 2006 stated, “The building (new, addition or renovation) must be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certifiable, that is, designed in conjunction with the LEED point system so that the University, should it so choose, could have the building formally certified." The University will then determine on a project-by-project basis if a building will become a LEED project.

All projects must control runoff water and materials must be specified for long life and low maintenance. For example the new floor tile being used is a rubber product that cleans with water only and does not need waxing. All carpet is recyclable. Whenever possible, the University uses metal roofs, which have a very long life.

Following these guidelines, the Cougar Village apartments that were gutted by fire in Nov. 2009 will be rebuilt according to LEED Residential standards.

In summer 2009 the University replaced the roofs of seven buildings around campus (Founders, Alumni, Rendleman, Dunham, Vadalabene Center, Supporting Services and 200 Building) using white Thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) material.

The TPO reflective material deflects the sun’s UV rays (which would otherwise be converted to heat) away from the building. This in turn decreases the energy needed to cool the building. Reflective roofs are already present on Founders Hall, Alumni Hall, Dunham Hall, Morris University Center, and the Supporting Service Center.

Designed and constructed to LEED standards for sustainability, the Student Success Center features include:

• Light-colored roofing material;
• Low-flow faucets and fixtures;
• High-performance exterior walls and windows;
• Zoned heating and cooling systems;
• Lighting circuits connected to occupancy photo sensors to reduce energy use;
• Carpet made of a “cradle-to-cradle” lifecycle material (when worn out, the manufacture will take it back and recycle it into new carpet product);
• Polished concrete floors;
• Construction job site waste reduced by 50%;
• Extensive use of natural light in building interior;
• Translucent walls in computer lab made from recycled milk jugs;
• Recycled content specified in all concrete and steel;
• Interior finishes have low emissions (low-VOC content) to enhance indoor air quality;
• Furniture is 95% recyclable;
• Decorative wall treatment made of recycled sunflower seeds;
• Photo mural in student lounge is printed on material made from recycled wood pulp;
• The green roof system was planted by students before being installed on the roof.

The new Science building is being designed to LEED-Silver specifications.

Opened in fall 2007, Evergreen Hall, the University's fourth residence hall, was constructed with the intent of being LEED certified. The building has the following features:

• A durable, light colored roof made of metal that will cut down on electricity consumption and remain structurally intact for many years;
• High efficiency rated products used for lighting, toilets, and showers, decreasing consumption of electricity and water;
• Glass that was used to provide natural light in places that would otherwise necessitate the use of artificial light;
• Sun shields were installed within large glass areas to reduce the summer heat and lower electricity needs for cooling;
• The condensation from the fan coil is collected and reused in the chiller;
• The majority of the materials used to construct the building were manufactured within 500 miles of SIUE - specifically the block walls, exterior brick, concrete and flooring system were constructed within 5 miles of SIUE and the concrete, blocks, bricks, precast and the flooring system were all purchased within the Edwardsville city limits;
• Purchasing materials closer to the University cut down on the emissions produced in transport of material;
  The kitchen cabinets were made from recycled material;
• The building was built on a public transportation route with ample bike storage to encourage low emission travel;
• The grounds surrounding Evergreen Hall are ripe with native grasses and flowers, which were planted to reduce mowing and assist with water runoff;
• A collection pond also was added to the grounds to collect and filter runoff water from the roof and surrounding ground surfaces.
• The Rendleman balcony is home to a green roof, constructed using a modular block system being developed by industry and tested by our Biological Sciences and Civil Engineering Departments.

As part of the renovation of the Vadalabene Center, the previous 400-watt high intensity discharge (HID) lights were replaced by 240-watt fluorescent lights. Dual-flush toilets were installed in the building to save water.

Faced with a progressive failure of the high-pressure hot water system that provided heat and hot water to the core buildings, SIUE decided to abandon, rather than replace, five miles of underground hot water pipe and put boilers in each of the buildings. This allows the University to achieve reliability and save money. Most of the savings comes in the summer, when only one relatively small boiler per building runs to provide hot water to restrooms, instead of running a massive plant and heating 20,000 feet of underground pipe.

In addition to saving millions of dollars in construction costs, SIUE reduced its natural gas consumption by almost 20%, reducing the University’s carbon footprint.

Green Cleaning Supplies: As of April 2009, SIUE used about 60% green cleaning supplies. SIUE is working with its supplier to find effective products that also are nontoxic and environmentally friendly. For example, one widely used product is a multi-surface cleaner that is a non-VOC (volatile organic compound) and is biodegradable.

Additionally, plastic trash liners and paper towels contain a percentage of post consumer products. SIUE’s vendor has supplied green training, helped to develop green order forms and is current with state legislative procedures involving green cleaning. SIUE’s supervisory staff trains both online and hands on and keeps current with the latest trends in cleaning green.