Wash U. Olin Expansion Wins LEED Gold
Date Posted: December 30, 2014
Posted In: News, Projects,
Olin Business School at Washington University and the St. Louis design-construction team of Tarlton Corp. and Mackey Mitchell Architects announced that the $90 million Knight Hall and Bauer Hall expansion project on the Danforth campus has been certified LEED® Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council®.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design™, is the U.S. Green Building Council’s rigorous green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices through four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. To receive LEED Gold certification, building projects must earn a minimum of 60 points on the USGBC rating scale. The Knight and Bauer Halls expansion project earned 60 points.
Tarlton has completed two additional LEED Gold projects on the Washington University Danforth campus: Seigle Hall (Social Sciences & Law) and the McMillan Hall Addition. In addition, the firm constructed the LEED Certified Earth and Planetary Sciences Building at Washington University in 2004, the first LEED project completed in the city of St. Louis.
Mackey Mitchell Architects has provided design services to Washington University (including the Washington University School of Medicine) for the last 20-plus years and has completed a number of LEED-certified buildings on campus. These include the LEED Gold South 40 House; LEED Silver Village East Student Housing and Umrath Rubelmann Student Housing; LEED Certified renovation of Mallinckrodt Center; and the LEED Platinum-anticipated Hillman Hall for the Brown School of Social Work.
“We’re delighted to complete our third LEED Gold project,” said Tarlton President Tracy Hart. “Sustainable construction has become standard practice in our industry, with building owners and project teams looking to build sustainably on every project, registered or not. Having built our LEED Silver headquarters in 2004, we know how to build these buildings, and we’re proud to help create healthful environments that make St. Louis an even better place to work.”
The 177,000-square-foot expansion project is the largest single project completed on the Washington University Danforth campus in the shortest span of time, nearly doubling Olin Business School’s footprint on the campus. The construction process and fast-track schedule was a project management triumph for the design-construction team.
Moore Ruble Yudell was the project’s architect of record. Major subcontractors include Buro Happold, mechanical engineer; William Tao & Associates, mechanical engineer; KPFF Consulting Engineers, structural engineer; Cole, civil engineer; MPC Enterprises Inc., precast concrete; Ben Hur Construction Co., steel fabricator; John J. Smith Co., masonry; Sachs Electric; and Rock Hill Mechanical Corp.
The Olin Business School expansion project champions craftsmanship in its innovative design. Knight and Bauer Halls, topping five stories each, are united by a dramatic five-story glass atrium that provides abundant natural light to an expansive amphitheater-style forum below. The inviting space unites the ensemble of buildings housing seven classrooms, study rooms, a 300-seat auditorium, 75 faculty offices, lounges, office, and other spaces to foster interaction.