Sustainable Centre: Buildings

As outlined in Centre College’s ACUPCC action plan, the College is committed to energy conservation in all new construction and major renovation projects on campus. All new buildings and major renovations will be designed and built to conserve energy and enhance the human environment as evaluated by LEED silver standards or equivalent. Certification through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) will be pursued as appropriate.

Pearl Hall

Pearl Hall residence hall, opened in August 2008 and dedicated in October 2009, was granted in April 2009 LEED Gold certification by the USGBC for its environmentally friendly design and construction. From the start of planning stages, LEED certification was a major objective for Pearl Hall.

Pearl Hall is Kentucky's first LEED Gold-awarded building and has the highest LEED rating for any residential facility in the state. Explore more about Pearl Hall: its origins; Pearl's LEED certification and what makes it green; and a photo slideshow. Pearl Hall is also the recipient of several awards.

Campus Center

The Campus Center opened in October 2009. The College's Campus Center has been granted Silver LEED certification by the USGBC. To read about what makes the Campus Center green, click here.

Young Hall

The addition to and renovation of Centre’s main science building, Young Hall, was completed in fall of 2010 and dedicated in October 2011. Young Hall is currently in review by the USGBC for LEED certification.

Norton Center for the Arts

The College's Norton Center for the Arts underwent a refurbishment and renovation in 2009. This endeavor included new seats in Newlin Hall, the location of the main stage, and a refurbishment of Weisiger Theatre. In addition, many renovations, listed below, contributed to the Norton Center’s qualification for LEED certification for an existing structure.

Energy-saving renovations include:

The College Centre

In 2005, The College Centre, a state-of-the-art academic/athletic complex, underwent an expansion and renovation. The project unifies Crounse and Sutcliffe halls, the main campus academic and athletic facilities, respectively.

Though LEED certification was not pursued on this project, the construction incorporated many best practices for energy conservation and sustainable design. Features of both buildings include: storm water control; water use reduction; construction waste management; use of recycled materials; low-emitting paints, sealants and carpets; and advanced lighting and ventilation controls.

Identifying energy use across campus

In 2009, Centre’s facilities management department began using the SchoolDude software system to track utilities use by each building and each utility meter. This system allows Centre to readily identify the most and least efficient buildings. From this information, future plans can be developed to improve or replace those buildings.