Niemeyer Learning and Living Center's Sustainability Features

Grand Valley State University's new Glenn A. Niemeyer Learning and Living Center continues the university's commitment to sustainable development  — a commitment that balances environmental, economic and social responsibility.

The center is designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standards, which call for high performance and sustainability by maintaining standards for water and energy conservation, material selection and indoor environmental quality. James Moyer, Grand Valley’s assistant vice president for Facilities Planning, said the building goes a long way in improving Grand Valley’s commitment to sustainability with the use of eight rain gardens, green roofs and an infiltration system.
  
“We used to have 100 percent water runoff in the parking lot. Our site will now consume 60 percent of water runoff,” Moyer said.
   
Project manager Karen Ingle said the lighting system in the facility includes occupancy sensors, daylight harvest sensors, scheduled light controls and multi-level switching. She said the apartments have Energy Star appliances and the laundry rooms have high-efficiency washers and dryers.
   
“The facility also has low-flow faucets and showerheads, dual flush toilets and waterless urinals,” said Ingle. “This is estimated to reduce water consumption by 37 percent, which is about 1.4 million gallons per year.

The construction of the facility was also eco-friendly. Wherever possible, the materials used in the building’s construction were locally manufactured and made of recycled materials. Much of the construction waste was recycled.

Niemeyer Learning and Living Center is not Grand Valley’s only building built to LEED standards. Muskegon’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center is certified LEED Gold; Lake Ontario Hall is certified LEED Silver; and Kennedy Hall of Engineering is also LEED certified. LEED certification is pending for Niemeyer Learning and Living Center and the new Laker Turf building, as well as for renovations and additions to Kirkhof Center and Mackinac Hall. The university is also pursuing LEED certification for its entire Allendale Campus.

The emphasis on green building is part of a university-wide push toward environmental responsibility. Grand Valley has signed the AASHE President's Climate Agreement, which is a high-visibility effort on part of institutions of higher education to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions that is beginning to set the pace for Grand Valley to lower it's carbon footprint. The university has also signed the Talloires Declaration, which is an official statement of commitment to environmental sustainability in higher education. The university has encouraged mass transit, and bus ridership has increased from fewer than 40,000 per month in 2002 to more than 275,000 rides per month by 2007.

Grand Valley is getting an increasing amount of national attention for its sustainability work. The university was honored by the U.S. Green Building Council for its campus-wide sustainability programs. Grand Valley was the only Michigan school cited Kaplan College Guide 2009, which this year focuses for the first time on environmentally responsible schools and green careers.  Grand Valley was listed as one of 25 “cutting-edge green” colleges and universities.