Penn has been recognized for its environmental and sustainability efforts.
The George A. Weiss Pavilion, located in the north arcade of Franklin Field, was given a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold certification from the United States Green Building Council, Facilities and Real Estate Services announced on Friday.
“This project is a perfect example of the architectural tradition of preservation through adaptive reuse,” Penn’s Environmental Sustainability Coordinator Dan Garofalo said. “The Weiss Pavilion creates new usable space in a previously under-utilized area of an existing structure without increasing the building’s footprint.”
The LEED certification is based on six different criteria — sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design process.
The Weiss Pavilion is Penn’s fifth facility to receive LEED certification, and the third to receive gold. The Morris Arboretum Horticulture Center is certified platinum; the Music Building and Joe’s Cafe are certified gold; and the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine is certified silver.
FRES and Crawford Architects used many strategies when designing the Weiss Pavilion to make it as green as possible.
During construction, 95 percent of demolition and construction waste “was diverted from disposals in landfills by salvaging, reusing and recycling materials,” FRES spokesperson Jennifer Rizzi wrote in an email. The excavated soil was used just across the train tracks at Penn Park.
The building has high-efficiency restrooms that reduce water use by up to 30 percent. In addition, it uses high-performance systems to optimize energy performance and a green cleaning plan that uses sustainable products and provides better indoor air quality.
The pavilion makes use of natural light with views of Penn Park and Shoemaker Green, an open green space that is due to be completed in August 2012. Glass panels allow daylight to reach the varsity strength and conditioning center in the basement.
In addition to the conditioning center, the pavilion also houses the Fox Fitness Center and the Information Commons — slated to open in February — on the upper level.
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