The Blackstone Hall student residence facility at Clark University has been awarded LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making it one of fewer than 10 certified residence halls in Mass., and one of the first in the city.
Completed on an occupied campus, Consigli Construction Co., Inc. worked with architectural firm Chan Krieger Sieniewicz of Cambridge to complete the project. The 208-bed facility includes many sustainable features, such as zinc-clad window boxes designed to deflect the sun's heat from the numerous windows offering enhanced natural daylighting, and Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood throughout the building.
The structure, the second LEED-certified building for Clark, also incorporates energy efficient fixtures to reduce water consumption, and the building's air supply is 100% outside air, offering higher indoor air quality for its residents. In addition, the jobsite realized a recycling rate of over 97%, due to a rigorous on-site waste reduction program.
"We at Clark are thrilled to have another LEED certified building," said Paul Bottis Jr., director of Clark's physical plant. "Our students love the bright spacious suites and the many amenities that are within this new residence hall. The collaboration between Chan Krieger Sieniewicz Architecture and Urban Design and Consigli Construction Co., Inc. has produced a building that Clark University will be proud of for years to come. To have this building receive LEED Silver is just icing on the cake."
Consigli, a leader in environmental construction, currently has 19 LEED projects registered or certified with the USGBC, including three SPiRiT (the U.S. Army's version of LEED) projects. Among them are the LEED Platinum-certified Harvard Blackstone office renovation and LEED Gold-certified Cambridge City Hall Annex.