Wright-Ryan's construction of USM library earns USGBC LEED Silver

The new $7.9 million, 20,000 s/f Osher Map Library at the University of Southern Maine Portland campus received LEED Silver designation from the U.S. Green Building Council. Many of the "points" that determine the level of LEED designation were acquired through special efforts by the construction managers, Wright-Ryan Construction of Portland. The building, which houses 20,000 maps and over 1,500 rare books and atlases, was built with green in mind but Wright-Ryan needed to pay special attention to the operating systems to be sure that they would be sufficient for the temperature and humidity requirements of the rare documents. During the construction of the LEED building, Wright-Ryan was able to divert 80% of all waste from landfills and utilize local subcontractors and suppliers. The building also features many regional or sustainable materials in order to reduce its carbon footprint. The exterior skin of the building is an interesting glass product with an artistic world mural gracing the surface. The building itself has been transformed into an artistic canvas. The LEED program, created by the U.S. Green Building Council, is committed to establishing a common standard of measurement in the building industry based upon scientific standards. LEED emphasizes state of the art strategies for sustainable site development, water and energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Founded in 1984, Wright-Ryan is one of Maine's leading construction firms, with expertise in commercial, institutional and residential construction as well as high-end millwork and furniture. The firm employs more than seventy highly skilled professionals and tradesmen. Wright-Ryan has successfully completed some of the most architecturally distinctive and challenging buildings in Maine. For more information, contact Allison Stoddard.