UT Receives Silver LEED Certification for New Academic and Administrative Building

The University of Tampa recently received LEED® Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for the Maureen A. Daly Innovation and Collaboration Building, which was opened in September 2015.

The Daly Innovation and Collaboration Building is the fourth building on UT’s campus built in accordance with the rigorous standards set by USGBC’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building certification program. The other three buildings are the Science Annex, which achieved LEED Gold designation, the Dickey Health and Wellness Center, which achieved LEED Silver designation, and Jenkins Hall, which achieved LEED Gold designation.

The LEED rating system, developed by the USGBC, is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.

The Daly Innovation and Collaboration Building features three floors of academic and administrative space, including the state-of-the-art John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center, and four floors of parking. Located near the corner of Kennedy and North boulevards, the building also includes high tech cybersecurity labs, campus safety offices, innovative classrooms, study spaces, faculty offices and a Starbucks Reserve store.

During the design, construction and operations of the Daly Innovation and Collaboration Building, there were many innovative green-building strategies implemented in order to meet key sustainability goals. A few of the ICB’s sustainable features include:

The ICB is more than 30 percent more efficient than a comparable building;
More than 30 percent of building materials came from local sources;
The ICB is connected to UT’s new high-efficiency chiller plant offering significant energy cost savings;
Abundant daylight is maximized through lighting controls to use natural light whenever possible, and low voltage lighting and sensors are used throughout to promote energy efficiency. More than 4,000 LED fixtures light the ICB.
All plumbing fixtures utilize high efficiency design to reduce water waste.

"The University is committed to providing healthy, safe and efficient buildings for all students, faculty and staff,” said UT President Ronald Vaughn. “The Daly Innovation and Collaboration Building is a special and unique multi-purpose facility that addresses numerous institutional needs. It is satisfying to have achieved LEED certification while also meeting our facility goals.”

“The University of Tampa’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “The urgency of USGBC’s mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and The University of Tampa serves as a prime example of just how much we can accomplish.”