In need of LEED

On Tuesday, I had the good fortune of being able to visit one of the most spectacular construction sites in New York.  No, a 175,000 square foot dark chocolate factory was not being built (unfortunately).  But it may be something even better: It's going to be a LEED platinum structure called the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental Energy and Systems headquarters building. 

If you're confused, or can't even read the entire name of the structure without getting distracted, it's O.K.  Here are a few basic facts about LEED to help you get started:  First, LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It's a rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council that gives certain levels of certification to buildings based on how environmentally sustainable they are.  At the most basic level of LEED certification, buildings must meet criteria that specify certain requirements for water efficiency, renewable energy use, sustainable materials used, and indoor environmental quality.  The levels that can be specified include basic LEED certification, LEED bronze, LEED silver, LEED gold, and LEED platinum.

So, what is so fantastic about the Center of Excellence Building near the Warehouse in downtown Syracuse?

Well, I'll just share a bit of the few juicy details that my tour guide told me.  

The building is going to have a green roof, meaning that it will feature a garden on the roof with plants (called "seedums") that will absorb rainwater to help stem significant amounts of runoff into the storm drains.  In addition, the building uses a soy-based foam as insulation, which happens to be more earth-friendly than other synthetic substitutes (the workers said you could probably eat it, but I'll save the soy for tofu in my dinner).  The windows also have a really neat coating on them, which consist of millions of tiny white dots to help control the amount of light that can warm or cool the building.  As for the last tidbit I'll share with you, the building will feature huge labs for students and scientists alike to test different modes of construction and the structural integrity of buildings and houses, in addition to studying how to make these sorts of buildings more sustainable.  And I think learning is the best part of the entire process!

I hope I've sated your LEED appetite.  

Keeping you updated on the green scene always,

-Marissa