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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Heavener Complex Receives Highest LEED Certification


Several firsts mark this green building effort

The recent addition to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium has just been ranked as one of the most environmentally friendly buildings in the U.S.

The Heavener Football Complex has received platinum certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, the highest ranking available. It is the first building in Florida and the first athletic facility in the nation to achieve platinum status. There are only 130 platinum buildings in the US and 141 worldwide.

LEED certification is based on site/location planning, energy use, water management, materials used, indoor environmental quality and innovation in the design process. The Heavener Complex earned the required 52 out of 69 possible points to receive a platinum rating.

The $28 million complex includes offices, conference rooms, an atrium with trophies from the team’s national championships, and weight-training facilities. The facility’s energy-saving features exceed state and national standards requirements by 35 percent and include low-e glazing on glass, insulation and reflective materials, which make the heating and air conditioning systems more efficient. It also contains energy-efficient lighting and light sensors that allow individual lighting preferences and turn off automatically when the room is empty. The facility also has a system for analyzing future energy use. Light-colored roofing and concrete pavement on the plaza keep temperatures lower in and around the building.

The building reduced 40 percent of indoor water use with its low-flow fixtures, dual-flush toilets and water-saving shower heads. One hundred percent of its irrigation is reclaimed water, and native plants combined with nonevaporating sprinklers allow the landscaping to use 50 percent less water. The green roof of the weight room near Gate 18 conserves energy and insulates as well by containing storm water for its plant life, rather than directing it to the sewer system.

Read the rest of the story at University of Florida News.

Watch WCJB TV/20's related story.