Virginia Tech president Charles W. Steger will lead a celebration of the innovative work that has resulted in LEED Silver Certification for Lavery Hall

Steger and Patty Perillo, vice president for student affairs, will formally unveil the LEED Silver plaque that will be placed in Lavery Hall’s main entrance. The event takes place Friday, Sept. 20, at 9:30 a.m. on the Lavery Hall plaza.

The event will include an appreciation of Virginia Tech’s on-going commitment to sustainable practices and the university community’s accomplishments in improving our stewardship of resources and sensitivity to environmental impacts. It is held conjunction with the seventh annual Celebrate Sustainability week.

LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.” It is an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the United States Green Building Council. LEED certification provides third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies to improve performance in metrics such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

Lavery Hall was opened in Augusut 2012 and was formally dedicated in November. The three-story building has 77,301 gross square feet and includes Turner Place at Lavery Hall, a dining center; six general-assignment classrooms; and office space for Services for Students with Disabilities. It is named Lavery Hall in honor of the university’s 12th president, William E. Lavery.

Lavery Hall was awarded LEED Silver Certification last spring because it addresses specific environmental impacts inherent in its design, construction, operations, and management.

  • Ninety-four percent of construction waste was recycled or otherwise diverted from the landfill
  • Ninety-three percent of wood products were harvested from sustainably managed forests
  • Thirty-six percent less water is used in toilets and sinks than the minimum efficiency standards
  • The use of liquid cooled refrigeration enhances comfort in the cooking and dining spaces and significantly reduces energy usage

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.

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