"Green" Building

Providing a healthy and energy efficient facility is a key project goal for the University’s MU Annex Building. To help achieve this goal, the building will be designed to be Silver certification compliant under the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental (LEED™) Design Rating System. LEED™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for sustainable design and construction, and it will allow the design team and the University to approach the project’s green building practices holistically.

Utilizing the LEED™ system, the design and construction of the Memorial Union Annex will incorporate sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, green materials selection, and indoor environmental quality, as well as other innovative green building practices. Current plans for the MU Annex include a green roof to provide a comfortable area for study and socializing, reduce the runoff of storm water on the site, and reduce the cooling load for the building. Additionally, rainwater on the site will be collected and reused for irrigation purposes, and solar panels will be installed to supplement up to 20% of the building’s energy consumption.