Concordia Center for Environmental Stewardship Concordia University Wisconsin recently announced that its Center for Environmental Stewardship (CCES) which sits along Lake Michigan’s shoreline has achieved a LEED Platinum rating. This is the highest rating that a building can achieve and is an internationally recognized green building certification system.
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is intended to provide building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
The CCES is one of only three environmental/nature centers in Wisconsin carrying a LEED Platinum rating and only the second higher education facility in the state to receive such a designation to date. The building is also the only LEED Platinum facility in The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.
“An award like this one does not come easily,” says the President of Concordia, Rev. Dr. Patrick T. Ferry. “It was a team effort – donors, architects, contractors, consultants, and the administration – to have the perseverance and vision to make the CCES a reality and we are grateful for everyone’s hard work,” Ferry added.
Some of the CCES’s unique features that give it a LEED Platinum rating include: geothermal heating and cooling, passive solar (energy conservation), solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal (hot water), and T-8 fluorescent and LED lighting.
“The building itself is intended as a teaching tool for all who visit and it complements our outreach, academic, and research programs as well,” says CCES Director, Professor Bruce Bessert.
The $4 million CCES opened its doors in August 2010 and is available by appointment to host seminars. Students from area schools can also tour the facility and participate in the Center’s extensive outreach programs. For more information on the Center, contact the CCES main desk at 262-243-2237.
— This story is written by Kali Thiel, director of university communications for Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor. She may be reached at kali.thiel@cuw.edu or 262-243-2149.
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