The new Tenley Campus is on target to becoming LEED Gold certified.

LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) is a green building certification program that is the recognized standard for measuring building sustainability. To achieve certification, building projects must meet prerequisites and earn points to achieve varying levels of certification ranging from certified to platinum.

The design of the Tenley Campus places a high priority on environmentally sustainable development principles. Key components include water and energy efficient systems, sustainable material selection, and interior environments that promote occupant health.

The Tenley Campus construction adheres to the University’s Green Building Policy, which supports the University’s goal of having a positive impact on the environment, as it relates to all university owned and operated facilities.

“Ideally, the LEED certification process is most effective when sustainable approaches are incorporated very early on in the design process as was the case at Tenley,” said Jamie Lee, AIA LEED ^BD+C, Principal at Smith Group JJR, the D.C.-based architecture and engineering firm responsible for the design. “Both the law school and the university were committed to creating a sustainable LEED certified building and had aspirations and goals that were incorporated into the project.”

Some of the green features in the Tenley Campus:

• Buildings are located to maximize public transportation options & access
• Bicycle use is promoted through amenities like locker rooms and showers, as well as over 200 bike rack spaces
• Infrastructure is provided for Electric Vehicle charging stations
• Open space on the site is maintained and maximized
• Storm water is managed for quantity and quality using on-site features such as rain gardens
• Light colored roof material is specified to minimize urban heat-island effect
• Buildings will utilize nearly 50% less water than typical buildings of similar size through the use of high efficiency fixtures
• A unique hydronic heating and cooling system will reduce energy consumption by more than 20%
• Construction procedures will divert more than 90% of construction debris from landfills
• Regionally-sourced material will make up at least 20% of the building
• Certified sustainably-harvested wood will be used on more than 50% of all wood on the project

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