Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 75.64
Liaison Yolanda Cieters
Submission Date March 2, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Seattle University
OP-4: Building Design and Construction

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.50 / 3.00 Phillip Thompson
Director
CEJS
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total floor area of newly constructed or renovated building space (include projects completed within the previous five years) :
21,000 Square feet

Floor area of newly constructed or renovated building space certified Living under the Living Building Challenge:
0 Square feet

Floor area of newly constructed or renovated building space certified at each level under a rating system for design and construction used by an Established Green Building Council (GBC) :
Certified Floor Area
LEED BD+C Platinum or at the highest achievable level under another rating system 0 Square feet
LEED BD+C Gold or at the 2nd highest level under another 4- or 5-tier GBC rating system 21,000 Square feet
Certified at mid-level under a 3- or 5-tier GBC rating system for design and construction (e.g. BREEAM, CASBEE, DGNB, Green Star) 0 Square feet
LEED BD+C Silver or at a step above minimum level under another 4- or 5-tier GBC rating system 0 Square feet
LEED BD+C Certified or certified at minimum level under another GBC rating system 0 Square feet

Floor area of newly constructed or renovated building space certified under a non-GBC rating system for design and construction (e.g. Green Globes NC, Certified Passive House):
0 Square feet

Percentage of newly constructed or renovated building space certified under a green building rating system for design and construction:
100

A brief description of the green building rating system(s) used and/or a list of certified buildings and ratings:

Seattle University uses the LEED certification system.
The following Seattle University buildings are GOLD certified under the LEED O&M system: Law School Addition (2010), Lemieux Library McGoldrick Learning Commons (2011), William F. Eisminger Fitness Center (2012), and Admissions and Alumni Building (2010).

The Student Center Building (2002) is LEED Certified.


Floor area of newly constructed or renovated building space that is NOT certified, but that was designed and constructed in accordance with published green building guidelines and policies:
0 Square feet

A copy of the green building guidelines or policies :
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The green building guidelines or policies:

Green building guidelines can be found in the following two documents:
(1) the MIMP: Major Institution Master Plan
https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/Neighborhoods/MajorInstitutions/SeattleUniversity/SU%20MIMP%202013.pdf

(2) Climate Action Plan
https://www.seattleu.edu/media/cejs/files/content/Seattle-University's-Climate-Action-Plan-2010-2035-v1.2.pdf


Do the green building guidelines or policies cover the following?:
Yes or No
Impacts on the surrounding site (e.g. guidelines to reuse previously developed land, protect environmentally sensitive areas, and otherwise minimize site impacts) Yes
Energy consumption (e.g. policies requiring a minimum level of energy efficiency for buildings and their systems) Yes
Building-level energy metering Yes
Use of environmentally preferable materials (e.g. guidelines to minimize the life cycle impacts associated with building materials) Yes
Indoor environmental quality (i.e. guidelines to protect the health and comfort of building occupants) Yes
Water consumption (e.g. requiring minimum standards of efficiency for indoor and outdoor water use) Yes
Building-level water metering Yes

A brief description of the green building guidelines or policies and/or a list or sample of buildings covered:

(1) Impacts on the surrounding site:
The university campus landscape is recognized as a leader in biodiversity and sustainability. In 1989, the university’s landscape was designated a Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. In 2007, the National Wildlife Federation qualified the campus as a Wildlife Habitat.
SU has two raingardens and bioswales on campus and SU’s landscape incorporates non-invasive species. SU designs to LEED Gold standards to the greatest extent possible, depending on scope of project.

See also MIMP p.23:
Where lawns and other open and landscaped areas that support outdoor seating and recreation are not required, the university will strive to implement landscape designs that do one or more of the following:
a) serve to improve hydrologic function through Low Impact Development techniques such as bioswales or raingardens.
b) provide high-performance landscape that supports ecosystem health such as non-invasive species and increased tree canopy. c) support the design of buildings seeking LEED-NC, LEED-CI, or other 3rd party green building certification;
d) integrate into the design of a landscape or plan that meets the requirements of a 3rd party certification such as LEED-ND or the Sustainable Sites Initiative. We strive to follow the Sustainable Sitesv2 (2014) guidelines, referenced in the City of Seattle’s “Sustainable Buildings and Sites Policy”

(2) Energy Consumption:
We design to LEED Gold as far as the project scope allows.

See also Climate Action Plan, p.28-29:
The university manages emission reductions through key strategies of energy conservation, building efficiency and renewable energy. Examples of these strategies include: lighting, EMS, planned maintenance, retro-commissioning, building design, renewable energy credits
Since 2006, the university has committed to designing new buildings to a Gold rating under the United States Business Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system.

(3) Building level energy metering:
Energy meters are placed in all new building per City code. Meters are placed in existing buildings as project scope and budget allows.

(4) Use of environmentally preferable materials:
The University incorporates sustainable construction methods, materials and energy efficient strategies as project scope and budget allows.

See also MIMP, p.38-39:
The university wants new buildings to be expressive of their function, reserve the ground level for transparent active uses and incorporate sustainable construction methods and materials as well as energy efficiency strategies.

(5) Indoor Environmental Quality: All floor area at SU is and will be maintained in accordance with a published indoor air quality management protocol (see OP3 and https://www.seattleu,edu/environmental)

(6) Water consumption:
See MIMP p.86-87, 122
“SU has adopted several innovative landscape management techniques that improve ecosystem health and decrease consumption of water and other horticultural pesticides and herbicides.”

Examples of SU practices include mulching, selection of trees and shrubs that create shade and minimize and decrease evaporation, and use of drip irrigation where we can.

(7) Building level water metering:
Water meters are placed in all new buildings per City code. Meters are placed in existing buildings as project scope and budget allows.


A brief description of how the institution ensures compliance with green building design and construction guidelines and policies:

Design + Construction acts as the LEED AP on projects


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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