March 19, 2009 | GBI Insight Home

Drexel University First to Adopt Green Globes® for all Capital Projects

Drexel University’s 17-story residence hall, currently under construction.

On February 14, Drexel University President Dr. Constantine Papadakis announced new policy stipulating that the Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system will be used for all new and existing campus buildings.

"I announced last fall that Drexel University is committed to being a leader in the sustainability effort," said Dr. Papadakis. "We have a significant amount of new construction underway on campus, and there is no better time than now to make sure we reach our sustainability goals."

According to the university, Green Globes will be used to assess five new construction projects, which have a combined budget of $164.4 million over the next three years. Currently under construction on Drexel's 84-acre West Philadelphia campus are an 84,000 square foot recreation center, a 17-story residence hall, a 130,000 square foot Integrated Sciences Building, and a 5,000 square foot dining terrace and food court. The university also has a three-story wing under construction at the Drexel University College of Medicine's Queen Lane campus.

The university is currently assessing these projects using Green Globes for New Construction. The GBI's independent third-party assessment process will be completed one year after occupancy, and will result in a rating of one, two, three or four Green Globes for each structure. Demonstrating its commitment to transparency, the results of all assessments will be made available to the public via Drexel's sustainability program Web site, "Drexel Green."

"Putting this information online demonstrates our commitment to transparency and accountability," said Dr. Papadakis. "It will help educate, promote discussion, and foster research, supporting the core missions of our university."

In addition to adopting the Green Globes system as formal university policy, Drexel is integrating environmentally-friendly design into all of its construction projects. For example:

• The new residence hall will include a "vegetated" roof to reduce heat absorption, help manage storm water and insulate the building.
• The recreation center will include rooftop light scopes which allow natural light into the building. This is predicted to result in an 87 percent reduction in the use of electric light during the day.
• The Integrated Sciences Building will feature a living biofilter, known as a "Bio Wall," for energy efficiency and improved air quality.
• A new addition to the academic building on the Queen Lane Medical Campus will include a green roof.
• Even the smallest of current projects such as the new dining terrace will include shade devices that eliminate heat gain and reduce energy consumption.

In addition to new construction, the university is working with the GBI to assess its existing structures using Green Globes for Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings.

For more information on either Green Globes module, please visit the GBI Web site.

For information on Drexel University and its commitment to sustainability, click here.