Village certified gold by U.S. Green Building Council

SUNY Oswego showed its green and gold colors once again as the new Village townhouse complex was recognized for its energy efficient design in January.

The U.S. Green Building Council has certified the 68 units of the new residential community on campus as meeting the “LEED Gold” rating under its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Homes program.

The Village

The college opened the 12 townhouses known as the Village to 348 juniors, seniors and graduate students last fall.

“We knew we had achieved our goal of meeting the gold standard in spirit, and we are thrilled to receive the official certification,” said SUNY Oswego President Deborah F. Stanley. “This project was a model for our students of how big, complex organizations like SUNY Oswego and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York can get the details right and produce a high-quality result that is environmentally responsible.”

The Village’s exterior siding is a concrete fiberboard made to withstand winters on the shore of Lake Ontario and to last longer than many other standard building materials. Under the siding are 6-inch structurally insulated panels (SIPs) that wrap the buildings in a tightly sealed, insulated envelope to make the buildings extremely energy efficient. The LEED analysis recognized the SIPs as design innovation.

Some of the Village’s other sustainable features are a frost-protected shallow foundation, which is heavily insulated; a passive valance heating and cooling system; environmentally preferred products, like Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood; landscaping with drought-tolerant plants; and a high-efficiency heat recovery ventilation system within each unit.

The Village is part of the college’s $800 million campus renewal program, which — in addition to the primary goal of improving the learning and social environment for students — aims to meet rigorous standards of environmentally responsible construction. Oswego’s green approach to all new construction on campus is consistent with the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, which pledges to reduce the college’s carbon footprint. Stanley signed it in 2007.

SUNY Oswego built the Village in concert with the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. Ashley McGraw Architects with Burt Hill were the design consultants, with Ram-Tech Engineers, Pathfinder Engineers, Klepper Hahn & Hyatt, Fisher Associates, and Trowbridge & Wolf LLP as sub-consultants. The prime contractor for the buildings was Hueber-Breuer Construction Co.

— Julie Harrison Blissert