Journalism's Knight Hall Certified as First University-Owned LEED Gold Green Building

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Green Building Certification Institute has awarded a LEED Gold rating to the Philip Merrill College of Journalism's John S. and James L. Knight Hall, making it the first green building on the University of Maryland, College Park campus owned by the university to earn the designation.

"It is a triumph in delivery on a vision by the college, the university, the State of Maryland, and the many private funders who made this building possible," said Merrill College Dean Kevin Klose.

Another Award for Knight Hall :
2010 AIA Maryland Award for Grimm + Parker Architects

From the Project Synopsis:

Knight Hall is the new 53,000sf home for the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. The building was designed to be Of its Time and Of its Place: the building blends with the context of its site within a traditional campus, yet also communicates a message of an institution at the forefront of the journalism profession in the 21st Century.

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Knight Hall, which opened in January 2010, incorporates dozens of features that reduce energy and water consumption. Builders used a high percentage of recycled construction materials and many new construction materials were sourced from the region to cut down on fossil fuel used for transportation. Special plumbing fixtures reduce water usage by up to 40 percent. An underground rainwater-collection system irrigates the surrounding property. And the large number of windows allows 75 percent of the building to be lit by natural light.

"The certification of Knight Hall as a LEED Gold building is a new milestone for the university," says UM Office of Sustainability Director Scott Lupin. "It is an achievement that represents a concerted effort by the project team to design and build a facility that meets a strict environmental standard. The project, of course, also adds to the university's understanding and experience with the LEED rating system, the costs and decisions involved and serves as a learning opportunity to the many people who will use and visit the facility."

The Green Building Certification Institute is an independent organization that certifies green buildings using rigorous standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Knight Hall was awarded the second highest rating - Gold -under the Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. Platinum is the highest level of LEED certification. South Campus Commons Building 7, part of a student apartment complex located on campus, previously achieved LEED Gold certification. The complex was built through a public-private partnership and is managed by a private company.

Knight Hall is a state-of-the-art facility for journalism education. It features high-tech classrooms and advanced multimedia labs that help one of the nation's leading journalism faculties to prepare students to succeed in a rapidly changing media industry. The $30 million building was funded by $16 million from the state of Maryland. The rest came from private donors, including large grants from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and numerous foundations, corporations and individuals.

For more information contact Anne Martens, Assistant Dean for External Relations at 301-405-2420 or amartens@jmail.umd.edu.

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