The Life Science Building completed its initial construciton in 1968. A $15.2 million project to renovate the 38 year old building began in 2006 and the Life Science building reopened in fall 2007. The building obtained Silver Level LEED Certification for the renovation.
The building envelope of Life Sciences was built with efficiency in mind. New double-pane, argon-filled windows are a low-e glass. Also, the white roof of Life Science helps to reduce cooling loads in the summer.
Upgraded HVAC systems help save energy:
Fume hoods have a high demand for energy, the hoods in the renovated Life Science building utilize variable speed fans to reduce their footprint (But they still consume a lot of power, close the sash to conserve energy).
Of the 1,643 tons of construciton waste produced during rennovation, 79% was diverted from landfills - 1,312 tons of debris was either re-used or recycled (including cardboard, concrete, pipes, roof rocks, clay and dirt).
Potable water use was reduced 40% from baseline design through installation of low-flow urinals and lavatories, low-flow sinks, and dual-flush toilets. The annual water-use reduction saves enough water each year to fill the UMD pool four and a half times!
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