New buildings at Clemson University will be green

Tag : Construction Building Materials

Not green in color; green as in environmentally friendly. That goesfor the construction process as well as operation of the finishedfacility.
Right down to the trash. Excess materials are recycled, said GeorgeJohnson, a superintendent with the general contractor for theproject, Yeargin Potter Shackelford out of Greenville.
Trees removed for construction were made into mulch. Buildingmaterials typically originate within 500 miles of campus.
Johnson's eyes light up as he talks about the project, even as heanticipates pouring 40 cubic yards of concrete, 40 truckloads, at 2a.m. The early hour is the best time to pour because it's cooler,he said.
The 30,000-square-foot annex slated for completion next April willprovide space for research, teaching labs and classrooms forClemson's bioengineering department.
"It's almost like a hospital," Johnson said, with provisions foracids, purified water systems and other substances that will beused in the labs.
Two floors of what will be a three-story concrete building aretaking shape. A 120-foot-tall crane looms above the constructionsite like a watchtower with a view of this and a variety of otherprojects raising steel and dust on the campus this summer.
The campus is beginning a transformation that years from now couldbe recorded as a legacy of James Barker, university president,alumnus and architect.
The university and administration have adopted a policy that allnew construction and major renovation meet or exceed the nationalstandard known as LEED Silver certification. LEED, or Leadership inEnergy and Environmental Design, is a benchmark for environmentallyresponsible construction and includes considerations such as energyefficiency.
"We thought it was important for higher education, especially auniversity with a top architecture program, to set an example andto help create a market and spur innovation of sustainable buildingtechnologies," Barker said.
Environmental sustainability is one of Clemson's eight academicemphasis areas.
"We must practice what we preach," Barker said.
The current flurry of construction and planned projects on thetable represent the first major development effort of this scale onthe campus since the 1970s, said university spokeswoman Cathy Sams.
Other current work includes a $7 million Institute of PackagingDesign and Graphics building next to the Fluor Daniel engineeringbuilding, which should be complete in December, said Bob Wells,chief facilities officer.
An Earle Hall High Bay conversion has turned high ceiling spaceinto a new floor of offices, labs and workspaces that will be readyfor use this fall, Wells said.
The second phase of the Memorial Stadium WestZone just started,officials recently broke ground on a long awaited Academic SuccessCenter and site work should start in August on a $50 millionBioscience/Life Sciences building, Wells said.
Barker already has shared plans with trustees for more to come asthe old Johnstone Hall area of the campus is razed and a newstudent center, dining hall, post office and residence hall rise.
The $34.3 million dining hall and post office, to replace theHarcombe Dining Hall and the University Union post office will bethe first to be built. An architect has been selected, Wells said.Design could start this summer and construction is targeted forcompletion in 2011.
Tight money won't halt the earthmovers and construction crewsgiving the campus its latest facelift, as the Clemson Tigers'homeplace continues an evolution from its 200-year-old roots as theplantation home of American statesman John C. Calhoun.
Money for the construction comes from many sources from privatedonors to leveraged corporate dollars. Some money for academicfacilities does come from state dollars, student fees and tuition.
"This is part of our commitment to provide a top-tier education forSouth Carolina students," Sams said. "We are responding to whatstudents are demanding and what the state needs in terms of futureworkforce."
Facilities, technology and other infrastructure are critical. Samssaid
"Quality education isn't just about quality faculty and students;it's also about providing them with a quality living and learningenvironment," Sams said.
Hammers will ring, orange construction fences will reroutepedestrians and construction office trailers will dot the maincampus for at least several years. The 21st century campus willlook very different when the work is done.
The legacy belongs to the founder, Barker points out, along withthe fact that the founder's middle name is Green.
The founder, Barker believes, would be pleased.