PRINCETON, N.J., April 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Walt MacDonald, President and CEO of Educational Testing Service (ETS), officially dedicated its new 105,000-square-foot building yesterday in honor of immediate past president Kurt M. Landgraf. MacDonald was joined by members of Landgraf's family, friends, trustees, ETS staff and local officials. 

Landgraf Hall was designed to promote the betterment of the educational professionals employed at ETS through a high-performance working environment that encourages excellent human and environmental health, reduces impact on the environment and incorporates significant operational efficiencies.

"Dedicating this building in honor of Kurt Landgraf truly befits his extraordinary contributions to ETS, and to teaching and learning throughout the world," MacDonald said. "Under Kurt's leadership, ETS enlarged and deepened its impact on and presence in all levels of education and on educators, learners, researchers and policymakers in communities around the globe. Landgraf Hall may last a hundred years — but Kurt's impact on people will ripple across generations. I'd say those are both pretty respectable legacies."

"I am deeply honored with this recognition and for the opportunity I had to help guide the organization, to expand its positive impact on learners and to make a difference in education," Landgraf said. "I am humbled too in joining the long list of leaders and innovators whose names grace other buildings on the ETS campus." 

A mixture of formal, informal and private space complements the overall open floor plan. The collaborative areas were designed to enhance and encourage interaction among employees. These areas may be outfitted with casual seating along with various table, work surface, furniture and office configurations to support the needs of ETS professionals. They are designed to offer access to many technology and connectivity options.

All offices and building systems are located in the core interior with new, open-style workstations designed specifically for ETS. When ETS's corporate Rosedale campus was first planned in 1957, great care was taken to ensure that the natural environment was disturbed as little as possible — even in a time when builders and owners paid no heed to the long-term consequences of acts committed in the name of progress.

"Consistent with our record of environmental stewardship, the design, construction and ongoing operation of Landgraf Hall will result in a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the United States Green Building Council," explained Bruce Gilbertson, Vice President of Construction and Facilities at ETS. "LEED certification provides an independent, third-party verification that Landgraf Hall was designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health, sustainable site development and operating efficiency."

Companies involved in the project include: architects: Spiezle Architecture Group, Inc.; construction management: Torcon Construction Management; civil engineering: Van Note-Harvey Associates; legal services: Pepper Hamilton LLP; and project management: Jones Lang LaSalle.

About ETS
At ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, and by conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded as a nonprofit in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL® and TOEIC® tests, the GRE® tests and The Praxis Series® assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. www.ets.org.

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SOURCE Educational Testing Service