Athenaeum Wins U.S. Green Building Council Award

Release date: January 28, 2010 |

Goucher College’s new Athenaeum has received the 2009 Accomplishment Award from the Maryland Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. The award recognizes the Athenaeum for its innovative use of green strategies, its attention to the needs of students and faculty, and its impact on the local community.

The Athenaeum, completed in September 2009, is the new centerpiece of Goucher’s campus, weaving together the various threads of life at the college in one signature building — a physical centerpiece for the campus that also will be the figurative heart of the academic community.

The 103,000-square-foot building is open 24 hours a day and features a new, technologically superior library; a spacious open forum for performances, public discussions, and other events; a café, art gallery; a center for community service and multicultural affairs programming; and spaces for exercise, conversation, and quiet reflection and relaxation.

Goucher, in collaboration with the architecture firm RMJM, approached every aspect of the Athenaeum project with an eye toward sustainable design strategies, and the project is in the process of applying for silver certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green-Building Rating System.

The Athenaeum employs energy-saving features such as high-performance insulated glass that admits daylight while reducing heat gain, solar water heating, light-activated motorized window shades, motion sensors for lighting, and displacement ventilation. The building incorporates recycled building materials, low volatile organic compound adhesives and sealants, a system zoning control of the HVAC and lighting systems for maximum efficiency, and two green roofs that reduce heat gain and alleviate stormwater runoff. The building’s water conservation features include dual-flush toilets, waterless urinals, water-efficient landscaping, and motion-activated faucets.

The Athenaeum was an integral part of the Strategic Plan that Goucher adopted in 2002. Construction on the building began in May 2007, with the final cost totaling $48 million.

“We are absolutely delighted to win this prestigious award for sustainable design,” said Phil Dordai, RMJM principal and LEED accredited professional. “It is an acknowledgement of the strong commitment of RMJM and Goucher College to green design and that innovative architecture and sustainability seamlessly fit together.”

For more information on the Athenaeum at Goucher College, go online to www.goucher.edu/athenaeum.