Harvard’s latest LEED green buildings

In response to Harvard’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goal and Green Building Standards, building managers and facilities leaders across the University are renovating and constructing greener labs, offices, and classrooms that cut energy use and are healthier, happier places for staff to work and students to learn.

As of Dec. 1, 2010, Harvard had 85 buildings registered with the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), 40 of which are certified, the highest number of certified projects of any U.S. university according to the USGBC.

The Office for Sustainability (OFS) recently posted online case studies for six of Harvard’s most recent LEED certified projects at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard Graduate School of Education.  Below are short descriptions of the projects and links to stories on the OFS website, which describe the green building features of each project in more detail:

• The Harvard Medical School’s renovation of 641-643 Huntington Avenue has achieved LEED Gold certification under the LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) version 2.2 rating system, making it the 35th LEED certified project at Harvard.
• The sustainability features of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Biophysics Lab fit-out project in the Northwest Labs building allowed the project to achieve a LEED Gold certification under the LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) version 2.0 rating system in August of 2010, making it the 32^nd LEED Certified project at Harvard.
• The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) East Wing Offices fit-out at Northwest Labs achieved LEED Gold certification under the LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) version 2.0 rating system, making it the 37^th LEED Certified project for Harvard University, and the 19^th Gold certified project.
• The Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Larsen Halls Upper Floor classroom project has achieved LEED Gold Certification under the LEED for Commercial Interiors version 2.0 (LEED-CI) rating system, making it the 33^rd LEED Certified project at Harvard.
• The Harvard Graduate School of Education Longfellow Basement renovation project has achieved LEED Silver Certification under the LEED for Commercial Interiors version 2.0 (LEED-CI) rating system, making it the 31^st LEED Certified project at Harvard.
• The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and the project team for the Northwest Labs Teaching Labs fit-out were committed to sustainability from the onset of the project. This dedication ultimately allowed the project to achieve LEED Gold certification under the LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) version 2.0 rating system, making it the 36^th LEED Certified project at Harvard.

The Office of Sustainability’s Green Building Services (GBS) team has partnered with Schools and units across the University on many of Harvard’s LEED projects. Read case studies for Harvard’s LEED projects or learn more about GBS at the Green Building Resource.