Stroh Center recognized for sustainability

BOWLING GREEN, O.—Bowling Green State University’s Stroh Center is now part of a select list of sustainable and innovative buildings that are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. The building was awarded LEED Gold status by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute. This is BGSU’s first LEED-certified building.

“This is a phenomenal accomplishment for everyone involved,” said Dr. Mary Ellen Mazey, BGSU president. “It’s a testament to the quality of people we have in Capital Planning and Design and reaffirms our commitment to being one of the ‘greenest’ universities in the country.”

LEED is the nation’s preeminent program for design, construction and operation of high- performance green buildings. The Stroh Center achieved certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. They include: optimizing the performance of the heating and air conditioning system, construction-waste management, buying materials regionally, using products with at least 10 percent recycled content, providing water-efficient restroom accessories, using low-emission paints and finishes and making the building accessible to alternative transportation such as bicycles.

“This is such a great accomplishment for BGSU and I’m proud to be a part of the first LEED-certified building on campus,” said Mike Schuessler, BGSU project manager for the Stroh Center. “Being environmentally conscious is very important to our students and it’s one of the reasons we incorporated the certification process into the Stroh project.”

Schuessler also praised the efforts of HEAPY Engineering, which led BGSU through the LEED certification process, and all the project contractors.

BGSU is pursuing LEED certification on three other campus buildings— The Wolfe Center for the Arts, and The Oaks and Carillon Place dining centers.

The Stroh Center opened in July 2011 and is a $36 million, state-of-the-art venue for concerts, commencement, lectures, and numerous campus and community events. It is also the home of the Falcon men’s basketball program and women’s basketball and volleyball programs.

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(Posted February 10, 2012 )