According to Walsh Brothers, Incorporated, the International Village at Northeastern University has been certified Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Walsh Brothers is proud to have managed the International Village project which completed construction on schedule and under budget this past summer.
The International Village is one of the largest projects ever to be undertaken in Northeastern University's history. Walsh Brothers was selected to provide construction management services for a number of reasons including our expertise in conceptual budgeting, regulatory management, and urban construction especially in working on tight sites. The International Village is comprised of three 22-story towers which total 437,000 s/f and serves as a residence hall for 1,200 upper-class students and members of the Honors First-Year Living Learning community. The building also offers classroom and dining facility which serves approximately 4,000 students per day, and is home to an art collection including photography, sculpture, green roof, and a 240-s/f mural on the ground floor. The design and construction of the building sought to create a space that would balance design, campus needs, aesthetics, economy, and sustainability despite its dense urban location. This LEED Gold achievement is a result of a true collaborative effort between the construction manager, Walsh Brothers, the designer, Kyu Sung Woo and the Northeastern University project management leaders, staff, trustees, and sustainability committee. The entire project team worked together throughout the design and construction process to identify every potential LEED opportunity while ensuring that the quality and design were never marginalized.
LEED certification is based on nationally-accepted standards met during construction and through building operation. It is a point-based system where points are earned through the use of sustainable materials, construction activity, pollution prevention, layout, building systems as well as other aspects of design and construction that relate to energy conservation and a sustainable environment. The International Village has been recognized for incorporating green energy use, low-flow showers and faucets, green roof garden, motion sensor lighting, specialized low-emitting materials, and for a comprehensive material management and recycling program facilitated by Walsh Brothers during construction. Leading the construction management of this landmark facility, Walsh Brothers valued the importance of meeting and exceeding Northeastern's LEED expectations and is proud that the end result yielded a LEED Gold certification.