Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Recent University of Pennsylvania Projects Receive LEED Certifications

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/11/25

The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Penn., recently announced that three of its recent construction projects have earned LEED certifications, according to university news. The Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology (VLEST) received a LEED Platinum certification, Amy Gutmann Hall a LEED Gold, and the OTT Center for Track and Field a LEED silver. The university now has a total of 55 LEED-certified projects on campus.

According to the news release, VLEST is a collaboration among the School of Engineering and Applied Science and School of Arts & Sciences that also plays home to the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER). The facility’s façade uses solar, geometric sunshades to reduce the building’s energy use and maximize daylight within the building.

Amy Gutmann Hall is a cross-disciplinary hub for collaboration among the university’s 12 schools. The building was made of mass timber and features a 12,000-square-foot green roof, high-performance building envelope, windows and skylights, low-flow plumbing, and energy-efficient systems, the news release reports.

The Ott Center for Track and Field, completed in fall 2024, earned credit for both its construction and demolition waste management and its heat island and light pollution reduction. The university planted 64 trees on the site in connection with its Ecological Landscape Stewardship Plan to support the city’s tree canopy goals, the news release reports.

“These LEED certifications reflect Penn’s commitment to sustainable building design,” said university architect Mark Kocent. “Each project is designed with energy efficiency, ecological integration, and occupant wellness at its core, a reflection of Penn’s In Principle and Practice directive to lead on the great challenges of our time, including climate.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Beyond Four Walls

    Operable glass walls provide a dynamic solution for educational spaces. They align with today’s evolving teaching methods and adapt to the needs of modern learners. Beyond the functional versatility, movable glass walls offer clean, contemporary aesthetics, slim and unobtrusive profiles, and versatile configurations that cater to the evolving needs of students and educators alike.

  • UNT Dallas Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for $100M STEM Building

    The University of North Texas at Dallas in Dallas, Texas, recently celebrated the opening of its new, $100-million STEM Building, according to local news. The ceremony on Dec. 2 preceded the first day of classes in the facility on Jan. 12, 2026.

  • Countway Library at Harvard Medical School

    From Shadows to Sanctuary: The Transformation of Light at Countway Library

    The renovation of Countway Library at Harvard Medical School demonstrates how biophilic design and advanced lighting strategies transformed a formerly dark, insular space into a vibrant, welcoming hub that supports wellness, learning, and community engagement.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.

Digital Edition