SILER CITY — 中央卡罗莱纳社区学院’s Siler City Center is built of brick, 铝和玻璃, 但现在它的正式名称是“黄金”.”&,

美国.S. 绿色建筑委员会 has announced that the facility, 2010年秋季竣工, 是否满足了所有的设计要求, 选址, and material requirements to be certified at the 黄金 Level of the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.

美国SGBC is a nonprofit organization that promotes environmental and consumer-friendly building design and construction. LEED是USGBC’s standard for sustainable design and construction of residential, 教育及商业楼宇. Buildings can be certified at the Certified, 银, 黄金, 或白金级别, with each succeeding level having more stringent criteria.&,

LEED-certified buildings are designed to lower operating costs, 减少送往堆填区的废物, 节约能源和水, 更健康更安全, 减少温室气体排放.&,

“We started with an initial goal of 银, 所以这当然是个好消息,泰勒·霍布斯说, 霍布斯建筑事务所, PA, 少不了, 23号的设计者,800平方英尺的建筑. Monteith Construction, 威尔明顿的 was the general contractor.&,

Some of the features that helped the building earn the 黄金 certification are: solar oriented site design and use of natural day lighting for interior spaces, water-efficient landscaping and low-flow water systems, minimal site and habitat disturbance, 雨水管理, use of local and regional as well as recycled materials, 反射屋顶表面, and use of low volatile organic compound (VOC) materials.&,

中央卡罗莱纳社区学院, which primarily serves residents of Chatham, 哈内特和李县, is known as “Green Central” for its leadership in sustainable education, 比如生物燃料, 可持续农业, 天然厨师烹饪艺术, 生态旅游, 绿色建筑/恒温, 可持续发展技术.

Having its newest buildings meet high LEED standards is one more way the college is showing its commitment to and demonstrating leadership in sustainability, according to 推荐正规买球平台 President Bud Marchant. The college and Chatham County also opened two new buildings on the college’s 少不了 campus in fall 2010: the Chatham 社区 图书馆 and the Sustainable Technology Center. Both were designed by Cherry Huffman Architects (now Ratio Architects, of Raleigh) to meet at least a LEED 银 standard. Both are awaiting a determination of their final certification level by the USGBC.

“We are delighted the Siler City Center has achieved the 黄金 certification,” Marchant said. “We appreciate the Chatham County Board of Commissioners for their vision in funding the construction of green buildings that will serve the workforce training and much of the post-secondary educational needs of the county’s residents. The buildings will also benefit the quality of life for those who use them as well as the residents and the environment of the county as a whole.”

The Siler City Center is the college’s first facility built in the western part of Chatham County to serve the educational needs of residents there. Prior to its construction, classes were held in the former Henry B. 赛勒学校. When that facility needed major renovations for continued use, the county board of commissioners approved the construction of a new Center.&,

The two-story Siler City Center is located on a 41-acre wooded site in the Central Carolina Business Campus. It and the college’s West Harnett Center are two of only a handful of North Carolina community college centers in an industrial park.&,

The new facility enables the college to do a major expansion of its workforce training, 基本技能, 成人教育, 课程项目, and enrichment classes in western Chatham. University transfer and other programs will be added in the future.&,

学生, 教师, 工作人员, and administrators are excited about the new Center and its sustainable features.

“We were thrilled to receive word that the Siler City Center has received LEED 黄金 Certification,凯伦·艾伦说, 中国商会查塔姆事务学院教务长. “This is a beautiful campus building which showcases new features in energy efficiency and sustainability. These features will reduce operating costs significantly over the long term, create a more pleasing physical environment for our students and 工作人员, and model the value of sustainability technologies for the public.”