building with leaves illustratin green cleaning and building sustainability

The renovation of a 70-year-old Arthur H. Anderson Hall on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, has been awarded the LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

According to reports from Mankato Free Press, the renovated building includes a three-story open gathering space to encourage collaboration and group work for students and faculty. The historic Kasota stone building opened in 1948 and originally served as the Gustavus library. It was renamed A.H. Anderson Hall in 1973 and became the home of the social sciences until 2011. It now houses a variety of academic programs and offices.

To earn the LEED Gold, buildings must demonstrate performance standards that include sustainable site developments, water savings, waste management, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

Some of the strategies used on Anderson Hall included selecting low-emitting materials, implementing green cleaning and equipment policies, and achieving energy cost savings of nearly 40 percent below baseline.

The multifaith center inside the hall includes low-flow water fixtures, as well as daylighting strategies without sacrificing privacy.

The building’s structural materials were 91 percent reused, including much of the original local limestone. More than 95 percent of the construction waste was recycled.

In addition, the project featured new boilers, which replaced Anderson Hall’s original heating system that was previously connected to a campus-wide steam system that runs through tunnels. The building is surrounded by drought-resistant native plants.

Harvard University's Soldiers Field Park’s Building Four also recently achieved LEED Gold. One of the Harvard renovation's goals was to deliver a healthier interior. The building's new flooring material was produced without any added antimicrobials. The project also focused on controlling noise pollution and enhancing access to natural light.

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