Two JJC Buildings Achieve LEED Gold Standard

Joliet Junior College issued this news release:

The U.S. Green Building Council has certified two Joliet Junior College buildings as LEED Gold: the Health Professions Center, completed in 2013, and the Campus Center, completed in 2011.

JJC's Health Professions Center, completed in 2013.

Both buildings, located on the Main Campus in Joliet, were designed by Legat Architects and constructed by Gilbane Building Company.

The LEED Gold certification is awarded based on a building’s sustainable qualities, water efficiency, energy, atmosphere, materials and resources used, and indoor environmental qualities.

In 2009, JJC signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment which included a pledge to build all new campus construction to a minimum of U.S. Green Building Council LEED Silver standards, making sustainability a top priority for the institution.

As a result, all buildings that the college has constructed beginning with the 2009 Master Plan have been built to LEED standards, including:

• Greenhouse, LEED-registered (first LEED-registered community college greenhouse in the nation)
• Automotive Expansion, LEED-Silver
• Natural Sciences Expansion, LEED-Silver
• Facility Services, LEED-Gold

Dr. Judy Mitchell, vice president of administrative services, is proud of JJC’s commitment to sustainability. 

“I am very grateful for the successful relationship we’ve had with Legat Architects which has enabled us to employ sustainable and cost-effective methods in our building construction,” she said. “Receiving Gold recognition for both the Health Professions Center and the Campus Center is a significant achievement that represents our continued commitment to the environment and to our community.”

JJC’s Health Professions Center, which houses the Nursing, Allied Health and Emergency Services Department, is 124,000 square feet with four floors. Before it was built, the department’s programs – including nursing, radiologic technology, fire science technology, and more – were scattered across the college with limited space and resources.

The new building includes sustainable features such as a roof cistern system that uses rainwater for flushing toilets. The building is 37 percent more efficient than a standard facility of the same size.

Other sustainable features of the Health Professions Center include: 

• Solar shading systems that prevent glare and excessive heat, while allowing strong views
• A chilled air beam system that reduces duct sizes, maximizes fresh air, and cools room efficiently
• A geothermal system beneath the parking lot that reduces the heating/cooling load
• LED light fixtures that require half the energy use of traditional lights
• A highly efficient exterior envelope that further reduces operations expenses

JJC’s Campus Center, which contains administrative offices, the library, the cafeteria, and student resource offices such as admissions, financial aid, counseling, and more, is 115,000 square feet and has three floors.

Sustainable features of the Campus Center include:

• Solar panels
• Ground-source geothermal heat pump system
• Green roofs
• Accessible natural areas

Additionally, according to the U.S. Green Building Council, 35 percent of the Campus Center’s electricity comes from renewable sources.

For more information about JJC’s sustainability efforts, visit www.jjc.edu/about/committees/sustainable-campus.

 To learn more about JJC’s sustainable buildings, view the project scorecard at www.jjc.edu/about/committees/sustainable-campus/Documents/JJC%20LEED%20Projects%20Scorecard%2020120424.pdf.