The new Sciences Building at the University of Texas at Dallas has received LEED Gold certification for its environmentally friendly design and construction.
The university says in a news release that the 186,000-square-foot Sciences Building opened in July and houses the Department of Physics, classrooms, offices, and teaching and research labs.
The facility features 150-seat and 300-seat lecture halls and an open courtyard with green space and seating areas. The L-shaped design will allow passersby to see science in action as they pass seven research labs on the ground floor.
The Sciences Building was designed to incorporate regionally sourced materials and technology that significantly reduces water consumption. Energy-efficient equipment and lighting reduced energy use, and about 75% of demolition and construction waste was diverted from landfills through recycling. Nearly a quarter of the building materials were made of recycled content, including concrete, steel, framing, drywall and flooring.
"The Sciences Building is the eighth LEED-certified building at UT Dallas in the last decade and brings our LEED-certified square footage on campus to nearly 1.3 million," says Gary Cocke, UT Dallas sustainability director.
The architect for the project is Stantec.
