Pictured is the SIUE Charles and Mary Lukas Athletics Annex.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has certified Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Charles and Mary Lukas Athletics Annex, located adjacent to the Vadalabene Center, as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver building.
It is the third structure on the SIUE campus—the second academic building—to achieve LEED distinction. Along with an apartment building in Cougar Village being awarded a LEED-certified residential award, the Art and Design Building Expansion was the first academic building to be named, achieving LEED Gold certification last September.
LEED certification is an official recognition that a project complies with the requirements prescribed within the LEED-rating systems as created and maintained by the USGBC. The certification program is administered by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).
“As a University, we have a recognized commitment to excellence inside and outside the classroom,” said SIUE Chancellor Julie Furst-Bowe. “The sustainable features in our LEED-certified and LEED-certifiable structures on campus are a testament to that commitment. We support an environment that fosters an enhanced educational experience for our faculty and students.”
SIUE’s Lukas Annex construction review submission resulted in the building achieving silver certification. The following categories were scored:
- Sustainable sites
- Water efficiency
- Materials and resources
- Energy and atmosphere
- Innovation and design
- Indoor environmental quality
- Regional priority credits
SIUE is second in the region for the number of LEED buildings on university campuses, placing behind Washington University in St. Louis. Once all eligible SIUE buildings attain LEED certification, the University will tie with the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana for first in the state, each with seven LEED buildings.
The $5.4 million structure was made possible in part due to a $4.2 million gift from the Charles S. and Mary L. Lukas Estate. The project added 29,100-square-feet of space for Intercollegiate Athletics offices and the SIUE School of Education’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Education. As an NCAA Division I program, SIUE Intercollegiate Athletics provides academic opportunities for deserving student-athletes, including many first-generation college students. The Annex brings distinction to the University and excitement to campus life through the highest level of intercollegiate competition and academic excellence.
SIUE is awaiting LEED certification for four more buildings, including:
- The new Science Lab Building West
- The renovation to the existing Science Lab Building East
- The SIUE School of Engineering Annex
- The School of Dental Medicine Multidisciplinary Simulation Lab in Alton.
LEED Silver is mandatory for all Illinois State buildings over 10,000 square feet.