University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Residence Hall Earns LEED Silver Certification

BRADFORD, PA –The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s newest residence hall, the $17-million, 170-bed Livingston Alexander House, has earned LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. It is the first building on the campus to achieve LEED certification.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is green building certification that takes into account sustainability considerations that include green construction practices, water and energy efficiency, and more.

“It’s about caring for the environment,” says Rick Esch, vice president of business affairs, about the campus’s latest new facility meeting LEED standards. “Climate change is real. When you build sustainable buildings, it benefits the environment, the health of residents and the health of those constructing and making the materials that go into a LEED-certified building.”

Alexander House, which was completed and dedicated in 2018, was constructed from concrete and lumber from forests certified in sustainable forestry practices. The freshman-only hall is a three-story building wherein residents live in two-person bedrooms within a section of 24-36 students. This arrangement enables each section to have its own special programming and give students opportunities to learn outside the classroom.

High-efficiency heating, ventilating and air conditioning as well as thermal glass and insulation reduce the building’s energy consumption by 30 percent over standard construction. Additionally, the power supplied to Alexander House comes from renewable resources. Paint and carpets used inside the building emit a low level of organic compounds, as do the furnishings made from recycled materials. Even the cleaning supplies used in the residence hall must meet strict standards.

Occupied since the fall of 2018, the building has bike storage for students and parking places for electric vehicles. Plumbing fixtures in the building consume less water.

The construction process created as little waste as possible. The demanding standards of LEED required that even the waste headed to the landfill be measured. Anything that could be recycled was sorted for recycling.

“Between 10 percent and 100 percent of the materials used in all of the furniture is from recycled materials or can be recycled,” says Rhett Kennedy, director of auxiliary services.

Esch said the university’s goal is to achieve LEED status for all new construction on the campus, including a planned academic building to house the new engineering technology and energy engineering technology programs.

Featured

  • dormitory with green roofs, solar panels, balconies, and labeled architectural annotations

    2025 Residence Hall Design Trends Focus on Sustainability, Flexibility, Community, Technology, and Well-Being

    With the most technically advanced Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) at the helm, residence hall design trends for 2025 look to focus on flexible spaces, health and wellness, sustainability, community, and digital technology.

  • ClassVR Wins Tech & Learning Best of Show at ISTELive 25

    Avantis Education recently announced that its flagship product, ClassVR, won the Tech & Learning Best of Show Award at ISTELive 25 in San Antonio, Texas, according to a news release. The program is designed to celebrate products that are “transforming education in schools around the world and that show the greatest promise for the industry,” and this is the fourth consecutive year that Avantis has claimed the award.

  • Beeville ISD Starts Construction on New Elementary School

    The Beeville Independent School District near Corpus Christi, Texas, recently began a construction project that will consolidate two existing, aging schools into a new elementary school, according to a news release. The district is partnering with Pfluger Architects and Spawglass General Contractors for the design and construction, respectively, of the new facility.

  • ECM Technologies Wins ‘Most Innovative Business of the Year’ Award

    HVAC preventative maintenance and efficiency solutions provider ECM Technologies was recently named the “Most Innovative Business of the Year” at the 2025 Champions of Change Awards, according to a news release. The program recognizes Arizona business leaders and organizations taking steps to make a positive impact on the state through innovative thinking and philanthropy.

Digital Edition