Center for Health and Well-Being certified LEED Gold
Becomes the 16th building on campus to earn LEED certification
Posted on: April 26, 2019; Updated on: April 26, 2019
By Koby Padgett, kpadgett@sc.edu, 803-576-6701
The University of South Carolina has been recognized for its sustainable building practices by the US Green Building Council. The group certified the Center for Health and Well-Being as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Gold.
The five-story center next to the Russell House opened in fall 2017 with open spaces, indoor plants and built-in efficiencies. It is one of 16 buildings on the UofSC Columbia campus with LEED certification.
Medical director Mike McKenzie says sustainability was always in the plan to create a center dedicated to health.
“One of the goals was to make this not just a place you go when you get sick but to make this a health center,” McKenzie says. “We noticed shortly after we opened the doors, students would come in to do their homework, write their papers, relaxing or taking naps on the benches. It’s a place that has a relaxing atmosphere, which is really a big part of health and healing.”
Eric Reichard, chief operations officer at Rodgers Builders that built the center, says it's unusual to see the students treating the space as a living area. “We work on a lot of college campuses, and that’s not normal,” Reicherd says. “This is above and beyond.”
Some of the numbers that led to the LEED Gold certification are
- 100% of the paint and sealants have low volatile organic compounds
- 85% of construction waste was diverted from landfills
- 58% of materials were manufactured regionally
- 38% of the building is made of recycled materials
- 32% water use reduction
- 26% energy cost savings expected
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