Kemeny and Haldeman recognized for sustainability
Energy efficient? Check. Careful with water usage? Check. A high-quality
indoor environment? Check. On the merits of these achievements and more, Kemeny
Hall and the Haldeman Center buildings have achieved “LEED Silver” recognition
from the U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC). Completed and occupied in the fall of 2006, the buildings exemplify
the College’s commitment to environmental responsibility and
sustainability.
A view of a stairwell in Kemeny Hall. The environmentally friendly design of
Kemeny Hall and the Haldeman Center buildings has earned a silver Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating from the U.S. Green Building
Council. (Photo by Joseph Mehling ’69)
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The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building
Rating System sets out a program of credits towards certification that are
earned for satisfying specified green building criteria. The ratings provide a
widely accepted set of standards for environmentally sustainable building
design, construction, and operation. “Achieving LEED Silver status for both
Kemeny Hall and the Haldeman Center has been a stated goal since planning for
these buildings began,” says Associate Provost Mary Gorman. In the design
process, a number of sustainability goals came to the forefront. “Efficient use
of water was one,” notes Matt Purcell, associate director of construction. “The systems
and fixtures installed in Kemeny and Haldeman make it possible for the
buildings to use water over 40 percent more efficiently than standard
construction,” a level recognized as exemplary in the buildings’ LEED
credits.
Much effort went into maximizing energy efficiency. For example, the
buildings have a tight envelope, sealing them against unwanted air exchange.
“It’s the same principle as in a home—you avoid losing energy by preventing
drafts,” Purcell observes. The result of these design choices: a 30 percent
increase in energy efficiency over standard construction. Both of those
accomplishments feed into the LEED rating, but also highlight Dartmouth’s
aspirations towards sustainability beyond them. “More than 50 percent of the
electricity purchased for these buildings comes from certified green power,”
Purcell says. Gorman points out that working for energy efficiency is a “good
economic decision for the College” as well. “LEED certification is an important
part of Dartmouth’s sustainability plans,” Gorman notes, “but the College has
aims to reach beyond LEED in many areas. We have a long history of paying
attention to energy efficiency, not just in new construction, but in remodeling
and retrofitting existing buildings as well.”
From their terrazzo floors (which can be cleaned with green methods) to
their low-emitting carpets, paints and other materials, to the buildings’ views
of the outdoors and their use of day lighting, the look of the Kemeny Hall and
the Haldeman Center buildings was shaped with sustainability in mind. “All
these things contribute to making the buildings a pleasant place to work,” says
Gorman. “And the buildings themselves offer the chance to learn about
sustainability,” adds Purcell. Among the innovation credits awarded in the LEED
certification was one for “green building education,” he reports. The College
is preparing a case study about Dartmouth’s green building initiatives, as well
as an educational Web site on the green building process and its benefits.
Kemeny Hall, named in honor of former Dartmouth President John G. Kemeny,
houses the Department of Mathematics. Its construction was supported by a
challenge grant from the Kresge
Foundation, secured by gifts from nearly 2,000 alumni and friends of the
College. The Haldeman Center building hosts the John Sloan Dickey Center for
International Understanding, the Dartmouth Ethics
Institute, and the Fannie and Alan Leslie Center
for the Humanities. A gift from Chairman of the Board of Trustees Ed
Haldeman ’70 and his wife Barbara named the Haldeman Center in honor of his
parents Charles E. and Betty Jane Haldeman. The buildings were designed by
Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners in association with Bruner Cott and
Associates, and built by Daniel O’Connell’s Sons, construction managers and
general contractors.
By KELLY SEAMAN
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