Terrific news from Ithaca College two days ago as the School of Business received official word from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) that its new facility has been certified LEED Platinum. That makes it the first Business School building anywhere to meet the Platinum standard, the highest of all the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) categories. LEED is a voluntary rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. There are less than 100 buildings in the world that have received this designation, with fewer than a dozen of them situated on American college campuses.

This was a particularly gratifying moment for me because I helped launch the project as provost at IC from 2002 to 2007. Susan West Engelkemeyer, the B-School dean at IC, did an outstanding job overseeing the completion of the cutting edge facility, one of her many accomplishments since coming to Ithaca in 2005. As she points out, “This project allows the school to clearly demonstrate the triple bottom line of people, planet, and prosperity."

Dorothy D. Park, the president of the Park Foundation, contributed the lead gift of $10 million toward the $19 million effort. Robert A.M. Stern Architects designed the 38,800-square-foot facility, which opened in January, and Atelier Ten served as the environmental design consultant.

Among the features of the Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise that reduce the building’s overall carbon footprint are:

 

• A vegetated roof to help control wastewater runoff and provide a thermal cushion against significant temperature fluctuation.
• Heat and light from a multistory, south-facing wall of glass to dramatically reduce energy consumption.
• Extensive use of natural lighting throughout the building, minimizing energy needs.
• A white roof to reduce heat load in the building.
• Purchase of 50 percent of the electricity used for the building from renewable sources.
• A storm water reclamation system for use with the building’s plumbing.
• A physical environment intentionally created to encourage a sense of community, shared purpose and collaboration.

Even as the building was going up, Dean Engelkemeyer and the B-School faculty began discussions about how to revise the curriculum so that undergraduates and MBAs can acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to address the challenges of sustainability and corporate social responsibility that will face them after graduation.  According to Engelkemeyer, the dynamic design of the new building "provided the energy, inspiration, and opportunity to push a very good curriculum to become truly great."

I'll never forget sitting with Mrs. Park and her daughter Adelaide Gomer at her home in Ithaca when she made the decision to make her generous gift, which came out of her own pocket rather than the foundation, one of the most progressive philanthropic endeavors in the country. She looked at me with a twinkle in her eye and said, "This will put that little college on the map, won't it?" Well, Dottie, that's right and it wouldn't have happened without you. Congratulations to you and Ithaca College for a job well done!