Science facility at University of Oregon is LEED platinum

The Robert and Beverly Lewis Integrative Science Building at the University of Oregon in Eugene has become the first structure on campus and the first higher education laboratory in the state to receive LEED Platinum certification. The university says the 103,000-square-foot Lewis building houses biologists, chemists, neuroscientists, psychologists and other researchers. The facility uses 62 percent less energy than similar conventionally designed buildings, and about 17 percent of the energy savings comes from the building’s reuse of waste heat that is used to control the temperature in the labs and offices. New construction projects at the University of Oregon are required to be a minimum of LEED Gold certified and to produce 35 percent greater energy savings than the state’s building code requires.