Green Buildings

As the university continues its rapid growth and construction of new buildings, it is important that we do so in a sustainable way.  Designing smarter and more efficient buildings, planning for alternative modes of transportation, or upgrading older inefficient buildings, we have to be consistent and use proven best practices.

                                           (LEED Silver Bioinformatics Building)

Fortunately, UNC Charlotte has developed a Design Manual to help with these things. The university is continually assessing best practices that can be implemented on campus to ensure efficiency and a reduced impact on our surroundings. The campus is continually becoming more commuter-friendly through the design of the light rail, increased bike paths and storage, greenways throughout campus, and charging for electric vehicles; while construction practices and landscaping on our campus is designed to be less impactful and resource-intensive every year as new best-practices are developed in these respective industries.

UNC Charlotte has certified building design and construction using two systems.  Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, is a certification from the US Green Building Council.  There are 4 levels in LEED: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Green Globes is a certification from the Green Building Initiative.  There are 4 levels in Green Globes, designated by increasing numbers.

Year Building Level Campus Division
2009 Bioinformatics LEED Silver Academic Affairs
2012 Miltimore Hall LEED Silver Student Affairs
2013 Center City Building LEED Gold Academic Affairs
2013 Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC) LEED Gold Academic Affairs
2014 Belk Hall TWO Green Globes Student Affairs
2014 Martin Hall THREE Green Globes Student Affairs
2014 Judy W. Rose Football Center LEED Certified Athletics
2014 South Village Dining Hall THREE Green Globes Business Affairs
2017 Levine Hall TWO Green Globes Student Affairs
2020 University Recreation Center (UREC) TWO Green Globes Student Affairs

In addition to the list above, UNC Charlotte has projects in design and construction that will pursue certification.  Since the first award in 2009, the university has been able to certify the design and construction of 71% of eligible building space.   For large (>40,000 square feet) buildings constructed in this era, the University has sought and received certification for 10 of 13 buildings and 78% of eligible square feet.