January 2009
It is fitting that the Arizona State University (ASU) Global Institute of Sustainability and newly formed School of Sustainability - the first in the United States to offer trans-disciplinary degree programs that explore and advance practical solutions to environmental, economic and social challenges - should be housed in a sustainable designed facility.
However, that was easier envisioned than achieved, considering that these two entities are located in a once-dreary building designed in 1965.
Although ASU's original budget of US $3 million for the renovation of its former Nursing Building allowed primarily for asbestos abatement; upgrading the fire and life safety, HVAC and lighting systems; and making the elevators, stairways and restrooms ADA compliant, university officials envisioned more.
So when an additional US $3 million became available from ASU's capital budget, architects from the team of Lord, Aeck & Sargent and Gould Evans Associates collaborated to create a building that would celebrate responsible design - both inside and out - as visible proof of the Institute's mission.
The result is the transformation of a dark, vintage 1960s-era structure with cavernous hallways into a bright, open, eco-friendly facility that is targeting silver-level LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The building is anticipated to save 18.7% on energy use and 50.3% on water use compared with the original building's baseline usage.
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