Butler University’s new 450-seat performance hall, the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts, has been awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environment Design) gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The facility uses 55 percent less water and 22 percent less energy than a typical building its size because of construction measures that include:
- A white roof that reflects heat rather than absorbs it.
- Dual-pane insulated window assemblies featuring a thermal break.
- Energy-efficient light fixtures.
- Motion and occupancy sensors.
- Low-flow restroom fixtures.
The reduction in energy use will save the University an estimated $19,000 every year based on current energy prices.
“Achieving LEED Gold was a total team effort—the design team, University administration, and all Jordan College of the Arts (JCA) departments participated in this achievement,” said Craig Hardee, Butler’s director of planning, design, and construction. “While we are excited for this certification, we are more excited that the building will enable JCA to achieve their educational and performance goals.”
The Schrott Center’s other sustainable features include:
- A rain garden that captures and filters storm water runoff.
- Pervious asphalt that further reduces storm water runoff.
- Green power credits were purchased for 100 percent of the projected electricity consumption for two years.
- 78 percent of the construction waste was recycled and thus diverted from landfills.
- 75 percent of the materials used for construction were extracted and manufactured from within 500 miles of the project site including limestone on the building exterior.
- This facility will be cleaned using green cleaning products.
The Schrott Center is Butler’s second LEED gold-certified structure on campus, coming after the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences addition in 2009. The Schrott Center officially opened in April 2013 hosting the inaugural Butler ArtsFest.
The Schrott Center continues Butler’s commitment to reduce the campus’ net emissions of greenhouse gases. In April 2012, Butler President James Danko kicked off Earth Week by signing the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, which expresses concern about “the unprecedented scale and speed of global warming and its potential for large-scale, adverse health, social, economic and ecological effects.”
Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf designed the Schrott Center and led the LEED certification effort. Other team members included: Shiel Sexton (construction management), Durkin Villalta Partners (engineering), Heapy Engineering (commissioning), Jones & Phillips Associates (theatrical consultant), BAI (acoustical consultant), David Wright (AV consultant), and the end users of JCA.
LEED is a system by which building projects earn points for meeting specific green-building criteria. Within each of the six LEED credit categories, projects must satisfy particular prerequisites and earn points. The six categories are sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design.
Media contact:
Marc Allan
mallan@butler.edu
(317) 940-9822
