Gym renovation at Iowa State gets LEED platinum

Facility is 1 of only 2 college recreation centers to reach top LEED category.

Dec. 15, 2012

The renovation of State Gym at Iowa State University in Ames has received LEED Platinum certification.

The university says the gym, which reopened about a year ago, is one of only two college recreation centers in the United States that have achieved a platinum LEED rating.

The environmentally friendly features that helped the project reach the platinum level of certification include:

Sensors that adjust lighting based on the natural light available
A green roof on a portion of the facility
Toilets with low-consumption flush valves
Re-use of 87 percent of the original State Gym structure.
Captured storm water can be redirected to flush toilets
Sinks and showers with low-flow faucet heads
25 percent of the building materials come from within 500 miles of Ames
84 percent of the regularly occupied spaces in the building can be illuminated with daylight
65 percent of the wood used in construction is grown and harvested according to sustainable forestry standards
Landscaping features native plantings that do not require an irrigation system
86 percent of the total construction waste — more than 1,560 tons — was recycled.
Low-toxicity interior paints, adhesives and flooring were used.
An automated thermostat adjusts building temperature at night and other unoccupied periods