July 6, 2011

UCSB's Kohn Hall Receives LEED Silver Certification From U.S. Green Building Council

George Foulsham

UC Santa Barbara's Kohn Hall, home of the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Kohn Hall, named for UCSB's Nobel Prize-winning physicist Walter Kohn, received the LEED Silver certification in the Existing Building category. LEED is the USGBC's rating system for designing and constructing the world's greenest, most energy-efficient, high-performing buildings.

"By taking advantage of interior day lighting and natural ventilation, as well as efficient cooling provided by the campus chilled water loop, Kohn Hall saves thousands of dollars in energy costs annually and is one of UCSB's least energy-intense buildings," said Jordan Sager, UCSB's LEED program manager. "In fact, Kohn Hall is in the 92nd percentile for energy performance, as demonstrated by a U.S. Department of Energy benchmarking analysis."

Kohn Hall is one of 15 UCSB buildings to have piloted the campus's commingled recycling program, and has increased its waste diversion rate dramatically as a result, Sager said.

With this certification, Kohn Hall becomes the sixth campus building to be certified through the LEED Existing Building Portfolio Program, a collaborative initiative between UCSB and the USGBC that aims to assess and certify 25 campus buildings over a five-year period.

Overall, Kohn Hall is one of 11 buildings on the UCSB campus to receive LEED certification. Earlier this year, the Marine Science Research Building received LEED Gold certification (Existing Building). In 2010, the Life Sciences Building and Harder Stadium Office Building were awarded LEED Silver (Existing Building) certifications, while a new complex that includes the Social Sciences & Media Studies Building and the Givertz Graduate School of Education, the Koegel Autism Center, and the Hosford Counseling Clinic received LEED Silver (New Construction) certification. Also in 2010, an addition to Engineering II received LEED Gold (New Construction) certification.

In 2009, the San Clemente Villages graduate student housing complex received LEED Gold certification in the New Construction category. Bren Hall, home of the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, became the first building in the country to receive double LEED Platinum certifications –– in the New Construction (2003) and Existing Building (2009) categories.

In 2005, Girvetz Hall became the first building at UCSB to be certified in the LEED Existing Building category. It achieved a LEED Silver rating, becoming the first LEED for Existing Building project in the UC system. In 2008, the Student Resources Building received LEED New Construction Silver certification, while the Recreation Center received LEED Existing Building Silver certification.

In 2002, UCSB adopted a campus policy stating that all new buildings commissioned after July 1, 2004, must meet a minimum of LEED Silver. In 2010, the Chancellor's Sustainability Committee established a new policy that all buildings commissioned after July 1, 2010, must meet a minimum of LEED Gold.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.