Facility at Drew University receives LEED certification

The Ehinger Center received a $12 million upgrade.

The Ehinger Center at Drew University in Madison, N.J., has received LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its energy-saving features.

The facility, which underwent a $12 million upgrade, is one of the most-used buildings on campus, the university says, with a student café, two lounge areas, a performance space, a pub, administrative offices, and other common areas.

The center reopened in 2012 after a year of work that added 3,000 square feet, a raised roofline, fireplaces, a two-story rotunda, a wall of windows looking out onto the campus and a barrel-vaulted ceiling.

The sustainable features that earned the building LEED certification include a heating and cooling system that uses 20 percent less energy than the previous one; automated shades over a large glass wall of windows that adjust throughout the day to reduce glare from the sun and maintain a comfortable temperature; an indoor composting station; pervious concrete pavers that enable rainwater to be reabsorbed; and waterless urinals in the men’s bathroom.

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.

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