Education Facilities

Renovation of Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study yields oldest LEED-certified building in U.S.

Editor's note: This is a sponsored article. All text and images were provided by the sponsor company. The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study recently achieved LEED-NC v3 Gold certification for its renovation of the historic Fay House, making it the oldest LEED certified building in the United States. The project provided a prime opportunity to closely evaluate the often synergistic, but occasionally competing priorities of historic preservation and sustainability, according to the USGBC.
Aug. 6, 2013
66fb1669369555e2ee421481 Radcliffe

Editor's note: This is a sponsored article. All text and images were provided by the sponsor company.

 

The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study recently achieved LEED-NC v3 Gold certification for its renovation of the historic Fay House, making it the oldest LEED certified building in the United States. The project provided a prime opportunity to closely evaluate the often synergistic, but occasionally competing priorities of historic preservation and sustainability, according to the USGBC.

Evaluation of the envelope and structure of the circa 1807 building was the most significant area where preservation and sustainability were carefully balanced—such as restoring windows to maintain the aesthetic while improving efficiency, modifying interior walls to increase daylight, weatherizing the envelope, and evaluating the feasibility of insulating the building. To avoid obtrusive mechanical equipment such as cooling towers, ground source heat pumps were selected as the means of heating and cooling the building.

(http://www.usgbc.org/articles/balancing-preservation-and-energy-efficiency/)

About the Author

Drew Ballensky

Drew Ballensky is general manager of Duro-Last Roofing, Inc.’s central U.S. facility in Iowa and company spokesman for Duro-Last’s cool roofing, sustainability and architectural education programs. He is past-president of the Chemical Fabrics and Film Association and chairman of CFFA’s Vinyl Roofing Division. Drew earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from the University of Northern Iowa and master’s degree in business administration from Florida State University. Drew has over 29 years experience in business and industry in various engineering and managerial capacities. He has worked in the U.S. and Canadian operations for a major international manufacturer of pre-engineered steel buildings, was a financial analyst with a major athletic apparel manufacturer and was an owner of a general contracting company.
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