State University of New York Receives LEED Certification

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. — The Rowley Center for Science and Engineering on the State University of New York, Orange (SUNY-Orange) campus has been awarded LEED Gold certification by the United States Green Building Council.

The Rowley Center, which opened in August 2014, is a 95,000-square-foot building containing 18 learning laboratories as well as classrooms, small lecture halls, a tutorial and study center, an architecture studio, faculty offices, computer laboratories, the Sandra and Alan Gerry Forum, conference rooms and a café, according to Proud Green Building.

In a statement, Dr. Kristine Young, SUNY-Orange president, thanked the architects and the men and women who constructed the structure, giving credit to the team who helped the university achieve LEED certification. “We knew the Rowley Center would have a positive impact upon our environment and our campus, but it’s most enduring influence remains the first-class teaching and learning environment it provides to our students and faculty on a daily basis,” said Dr. Young. The Rowley Center will become the second building on the campus to receive LEED Gold certification, according to the Hudson Valley News Network.

Green building strategies include a vegetated roof to minimize rainwater runoff, an underground stormwater cistern, bio-retention areas, water saving plumbing fixtures, an energy-efficient HVAC system, photovoltaic panels and daylight harvesting, according to Proud Green Building. More than 40 percent of the construction materials were recycled or sourced locally and more than 98 percent of the waste produced by the construction of the facility was salvaged or recycled.

Another feature included in the design is a monitor display that shows, in real time, the electrical energy generated from the rooftop photovoltaic panels, giving those inside the opportunity to see the green building at work. “The Rowley Center is a shining example of the commitment the county and college have made to providing students with state-of-the-art facilities that are sensitive to the environment,” Tenée Casaccio, AIA, president of Glen Falls, N.Y.-based JMZ Architects and Planners, the design firm for the project, said in a statement.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) granted the college $235,000 for the building’s green design and LEED certification.