UNT System
The University of North Texas was the first large public university in Texas to sign the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment , a growing nationwide initiative of college and university presidents and chancellors dedicated to counteracting climate change by taking steps to make their campuses carbon neutral.
The university will be seeking Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, one of the highest levels of sustainable achievement. UNT likely will have the first college football stadium with a Gold LEED designation. The rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, means construction is independently verified to meet high environmental and efficiency standards.
At the University of North Texas Dallas, contractors, architects, System staff and school officials are working to obtain LEED Gold Certification for the second campus building. The second building will open in the fall 2010 semester and might be the first building in the system utilizing photovoltaics (from sunlight) to generate electricity to help power the building.
The UNT Health Sciences Center is making a concerted effort to establish Campus ‘Greening’. This conceptually re-thinks the master planning approach from an additive process towards a subtractive one. Establishing a conceptual ‘green canvas’ across the existing campus provides an opportunity to carefully carve away this ‘fabric’ as indicated by the existing primary campus buildings. This thoughtful planning approach strengthens the prospect of responsible implementation, strategic building planning, and integration with the surrounding context. The new HSC Public Health Education building, scheduled to open in late May, 2010, is seeking a Gold LEED designation.
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