An addition to Cornell Law School’s Myron Taylor Hall was certified LEED Platinum, the university’s second LEED Platinum designation, according to the Cornell Daily Sun.
Cornell is no stranger to LEED certification. The Human Ecology building was certified Platinum in 2011. Moreover, there are a total of 15 LEED certified buildings on Cornell’s campus: two Silver certified, 11 Gold and now two Platinum, according to Matthew Kozlowski, green building program manager for facilities services.
The construction project at the law school was designed and constructed by Ann Beha Architects and Welliver Construction of Elmira, with assistance from Cornell’s Facilities Services.
Construction began in spring 2012 and was completed in the fall of 2014. The addition, which was designed by Scott Aquilina, includes a new underground academic space beneath the existing lawn adjacent to the law school. The underground academic facility includes three-tiered classrooms, as well as break room spaces and a lobby.
The most progressive aspect of the new addition is the fact that it is underground, which makes the building highly energy efficient, according to Kozlowski. “[The building] is totally covered by a green roof,” he told the Cornell Daily Sun. “Our modeling shows that the building should be about 64 percent more efficient than a standard building.”
The project took place in three phases and cost about $55 million total.
