Jun 19 2014
The University of Oregon’s William W. Knight Law Center has achieved LEED-EBOM Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, the third UO building to achieve LEED Gold status, joining Matthew Knight Arena and the White Stag Block in Portland.
The University of Oregon’s William W. Knight Law Center has achieved LEED-EBOM Gold certification.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) status is awarded to buildings based on a point system denoting environmental friendliness. Knight Law Center earned certification as part of the LEED existing building program, which requires improved building operations be tracked during one year and submitted to LEED for review. Collaboration between campus operations and law school faculty and staff allowed building sustainability data to be recorded and ultimately approved.
“We have the extraordinary privilege of working in a building that is not only beautiful, but also thoughtfully designed and operated, in ways that are consistent with our school’s values,” said Dean Michael Moffitt. “I am proud of all who worked to help us reach the LEED Gold status.”
Changes made to the building to reach gold status include reduction of lighting through time delay and motion sensors, the use of eco-friendly cleaning agents and installing more energy efficient heating and cooling systems. Throughout the three-year period of changes, improvement in satisfaction of the law center was indicated by two comfort surveys sent to faculty, staff and students in the law school regarding lighting, noise level and general comfort.
“The changes and upgrades made to the Knight Law Center dramatically decrease the energy needed to operate our already outstanding facility,” said Oregon Law’s building manager Jim Horstrup. “These changes should serve not only the law school community but the University of Oregon on the whole.”
The 138,000-square-foot William W. Knight Law Center opened in fall of 1999 and was named for 1932 UO graduate and the father of Philip Knight, a founder of Nike and UO benefactor. This building replaced what is now known as McKenzie Hall as the home of the law school and law library.
Other high-performance buildings to join the university’s LEED team include the Ford Alumni Center, Lewis Integrative Science Building, Global Scholars Hall, Straub Hall and the Student Recreation Center Expansion. The Lillis Business Complex, which earned silver certification, was the first LEED building on campus.