Community Education Building Lauded for Use of Earth-Friendly Construction, Design, Use
As the country celebrates Earth Day, the College of Southern Maryland celebrated its recognition of its newest building on the La Plata Campus earning Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Community Education (CE) Building has 48,000 square feet with 18 classrooms, as well as specialized rooms for certified nursing assistant and geriatric nursing assistant programs, veterinarian tech, criminal justice, geography and a Macintosh computer lab.
This is a green classroom building, the first built on this La Plata Campus, with materials and systems designed and selected to reduce the buildings impact on the environment, said CSM Trustee Chair Michael Middleton during the buildings fall dedication ceremony. [The building] incorporates a number of LEED features throughout. As a green building, it is designed with a compact footprint to reduce the impact on the natural environment, with expansive daylight in learning spaces and a high efficiency mechanical and lighting system.
Rain gardens and biofilters around the exterior of the building, filter and slow rainwater to clean and recharge the local groundwater aquifers. More than 22 percent energy efficiency and 40 percent water savings are expected.
Large north and south facing windows bring in natural light and highlight the beautiful views of the campus; studies have shown that access to natural daylight and views improves productivity so this will be a great benefit for our students, said Middleton.
To view photos of the dedication, visit http://www.csmd.edu/news/archive/2014/1c24fa137f98c052cfebaaf9bd2ef62274628d8c.html.