Goddard-Hodgkins Earns LEED Gold
Another Colby College residence hall has received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, taking Colby’s number of LEED buildings to six, with three of those at the gold level. Renovated in 2010, Goddard-Hodgkins, a former fraternity house built in the late 1940s, is now more energy efficient and includes local, recycled, and sustainably harvested materials. Colby has more LEED-certified buildings than any private college in Maine, and it was the first private college in Maine to achieve the gold level.
Major energy improvements came from replacing windows, expanding the number of heating zones, adding motion sensors and timers for reduced electrical use, and installing more-efficient lighting and equipment. Energy recovery systems allow for the capture of heat energy from warm air exhaust, which is then used to partially reheat incoming fresh air ventilation.
The building was originally 8,160 square feet and received a highly efficient 1,900-square-foot addition. Building features include new study/lounge space, an elevator for better accessibility, recycling centers, and interior bike rooms. Other factors that contribute to the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification include:
• Low-flow faucets and showers, and dual-flush toilets conserve water use;
• Spray-foam insulation increases efficiency of addition;
• Construction waste reduced through reusing or recycling approximately 80 percent;
• Interior finishes (paints, adhesives, sealants, carpets) emit fewer vapors;
• Renewable (Green-e certified wind) power offsets 100 percent of each building’s annual electricity use for a minimum of two years;
• Native or drought-tolerant landscape materials reduce the need for irrigation.
Colby has a longstanding commitment to environmentally friendly building practices. The project manager for the Goddard-Hodgkins project, along with Colby’s entire Physical Plant project management team, is professionally accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program, signifying Colby’s ongoing commitment to incorporating environmental principles in all construction projects.
Other LEED-certified buildings at Colby are the Schair-Swenson-Watson Alumni Center, certified at the Silver level and opened in 2005 as one of the first academic buildings in Maine certified by the program; the Diamond Building which opened in 2007; the Cotter Union/Bookstore project, completed in 2008 and certified LEED Silver; Pierce Hall and Perkins-Wilson Hall, both renovated in 2008 and certified LEED Gold.
Contact:
Ruth Jacobs ([email protected])
207-859-4350