Rec center at University of Oregon earns highest LEED rating

The expanded and renovated Student Recreation Center at the University of Oregon in Eugene has received LEED Platinum certification for its sustainable design elements.

The $50 million project, which encompasses 110,000 square feet of new space and 40,000 square feet of renovated space, opened in January 2015. The university says the center is the largest campus recreation facility in the nation to earn a Platinum rating—the highest level of recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council.

RDG Planning & Design, architect for the project, says the facility consumes only 43 percent of the energy, and 34 percent of the potable water that comparable facilities use.

Among the facility's energy-saving and environmentally friendly features:

• What was previously Leighton Pool now serves as a cistern that collects rain water for flushing all toilets in the center as well as all irrigation outside the facility. The university projects that In an average year, the system will collect, treat and repurpose about 400,000 gallons of water. If the area has above-average precipitation, the system has the capacity to repurpose more than 600,000 gallons of water. Over 30 years, the cistern system is projected to save the university between $192,000 and $288,000.
• Aa radiant heat system beneath many of the floors in the center provide cost-effective and sustainable heating.
• Active chilled beam systems are used throughout the facility for heating and cooling.
• Windows and skylights have been designed to provide lots of daylight. Windows have automated shades that adjust themselves based on direct sunlight.
• The facility's solar energy system has been expanded.