East Academic Building Designed to Maximize Environmental Sustainability and Energy Efficiency

ST. LOUIS, March 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The new East Academic Building at Webster University is a testament to the institution's dedication to practicing and teaching responsible environmental citizenship.

The building was designed to meet the standards for LEED silver certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This internationally recognized certification provides third-party verification of a building's design for energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality and stewardship of resources.

According to Greg Gunderson, vice president and chief financial officer, any new University construction and future renovations will be designed to meet LEED standards. "The University will use only LEED-accredited design professionals, and in fact, campus sustainability will be included in the new campus master plan," Gunderson said.

This means that during the East Academic Building's construction, salvaged materials were returned to the University or donated to local charities; occupancy sensors for lighting and heating/cooling control were used; waste was diverted from landfills wherever possible; Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) adhesives and paints were used; infrastructure initiatives were used to improve energy efficiency; and materials were procured using LEED criteria, including recycled content, recyclability, and use of local vendors and certified sustainable sources.

The East Academic Building site contains two rain gardens for controlled reduced runoff. Rain gardens are planted depressions that allow rainwater runoff from impervious surfaces – such as roofs, driveways and walkways – to be absorbed. This reduces rain runoff by allowing storm water to soak into the ground. Rain gardens can cut down on the amount of pollution reaching creeks and streams by up to 30 percent.

Two green roofs and low-emittance glass help reduce the East Academic Building's heat and cooling loads and increase its energy efficiency year-round. A green roof is a roof covered with vegetation and a growing medium planted over a waterproofing membrane. The green roofs contain 22,824 plants, including the varieties Sedum Album "coral carpet," Sedum Reflexum, Sedum Kamtschaticum and Festuca Glauca "Elijah Blue."

The impermeable membrane vapor barrier "envelope" of the East Academic Building implements high-performance design and construction techniques that surpass today's energy codes and produce estimated savings of $30,000 per year.

The landscaping plan for the East Academic Building, designed by SWT Design Inc., is beautiful, sustainable and educational. Webster alumnus Jim Wolterman (MBA '91) is a resident of Webster Groves and co-founding principal of SWT Design. He said the East Academic Building's site palette consists of broad, bold statements with the use of unit pavers, locally harvested stone and native and adapted landscape.

"State entry plazas provide comfortable places to sit or gather and provide the opportunity for donor pavers," Wolterman said. "Sustainable site features include permeable paving parking areas and a rain garden that manages roof and site runoff and native plantings." Explanatory signage will encourage education and interpretation.

With its home campus in St. Louis, Webster University (www.webster.edu) is the only Tier 1, private, non-profit U.S.-based university providing a network of international residential campuses. Founded in 1915, Webster University's campus network today includes metropolitan, military and corporate locations around the world, as well as traditional residential campuses in Asia, Europe and North America. The university is committed to delivering high-quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence.

SOURCE Webster University