Green Building and LEED
Our commitment to green building is part of our mission to reach climate neutrality by 2037. As each major renovation is designed and implemented, all aspects of sustainability are carefully considered, with a special focus on energy and water efficiency. Our goal is to minimize the carbon footprint of the building as part of the renovation strategy.
Focusing on sustainable renovations benefits the college in these ways:
- Assists with meeting the goal of climate neutrality by reducing the building’s carbon footprint
- Saves significant utility costs over the life of the new, highly efficient systems
- Provides critical educational opportunities about how to achieve green building goals in historic buildings and within budget
- Receives recognition for the college both with LEED certification and other awards
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is the green building certification program managed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. To receive LEED certification, building projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification. Prerequisites and credits differ for each rating system, and teams choose the best fit for their project.
In 2008 the 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø’s Board of Trustees passed a resolution that all new construction and renovation on campus must meet the standards of LEED Silver or greater. This board guidance has been pivotal in the sustainability success of green building in renovations. Currently, the college has one LEED Silver building, one LEED Gold building, and one LEED Platinum building. The major construction projects at 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø that have undergone LEED certification have used the LEED Building and Construction (BD+C) scoring system. Specifically, these projects have fallen under the LEED v3 2009 for New Construction and Major Renovations.
In May 2022, 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø partnered with a design firm to produce a full-campus study utilizing the Carbon Avoided Retrofit Estimator (CARE) Tool to calculate and compare embodied, operating and avoided carbon impacts of the college’s buildings. This also included review of the benefits of reusing and upgrading existing buildings versus building new ones. Read the Drawdown Georgia blogpost, , for more information. And read the full case study here, Scaling Up Climate Action through Building Stewardship: The Carbon Savings of Existing and Historic Buildings at 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø.
LEED Buildings
91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø 'Main' Hall is the fourth LEED-certified building on 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø’s 100 acre campus. The 1891 structure underwent renovation between May 2018 to August 2024. As the college's two oldest buildings, Main Hall (1891) joins Rebekah Scott Hall (1905) in achieving LEED Platinum certification, the highest-level rating by the U.S. Green Building Council.
As part of the college's carbon neutrality commitment of 2037, building reuse and stewardship is one of the key strategies 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø utilizes to reduce and avoid carbon emissions. Main Hall prioritized high performance in energy efficiency, renewable energy production, indoor air quality, water conservation, historic preservation, and materials selection.
Read more about the college's 2022 embodied carbon report on the value of building stewardship and the importance of historic preservation in climate action along with the solar array installation that produces 58% of the Main Hall's electricity usage.
Rebekah Scott Hall is the third LEED-certified building on 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø’s 100 acre campus. The 1905 structure underwent renovation between May 2017 to August 2018. Rebekah Scott Hall achieved LEED Platinum certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at achieving high performance in sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor air quality. LEED-Platinum is the highest-level rating by the U.S. Green Building Council.
In addition to achieving LEED Platinum certification, Rebekah Scott Hall was one of two finalists in the Community Impact Award category in the 2018 Georgia Green Awards along with receiving the .
LEED-Silver certified Anna I. Young Alumnae House is the first LEED-certified building at 91³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø and the first LEED-certified building in the City of Decatur. This 1921 home was the first alumnae house in the Southeast and the second in the United States. The 2009 renovations under LEED Silver emphasized energy efficiency, natural lighting, water conservation, historic preservation, and waste diversion.
Alumnae, friends, and the greater community are welcome to reserve a room for overnight stays along with spaces to host special events. For more information on availability and accommodations, please visit the Alumnae House website here.