Awards And Certifications From April 11
Wayne State Engineering Building Earns LEED Silver: Wayne State University will unveil a plaque in recognition of the Marvin I. Danto Engineering Development Center's LEED Silver certification as designated by the U.S. Green Building Council. A ceremony will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, April 23, in the 82,500-square-foot facility, the first on Wayne State's Midtown campus to receive the honor. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification is achieved by meeting specific requirements in five environmental categories, including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. The USGBC uses the LEED certification process to encourage and facilitate the development of sustainable buildings in more than 120 different countries. With more than 9 billion square feet of building space designed to meet LEED standards, the certification process has greatly influenced the way buildings are designed, built and used on a daily basis. Wayne State is utilizing the USGBC certification requirements to help guide construction of sustainable buildings around campus. Following this approach, Design and Construction Services Department, part of the Division of Facilities Planning and Management, has worked toward the implementation of sustainable strategies in the past four major construction projects on the WSU campus. The EDC is the first of these, with three upcoming facilities also expected to receive LEED certification. The EDC is home to engineering research in alternative energy, nanotechnology, biotechnology, smart sensors, advanced propulsion and other translational research areas that will lead to beneficial industry innovations. When first opened, it was hailed as an interactive, academic business model that would promote economic development in Michigan by providing engineering services to help companies accelerate their own research and development activities. Wayne State received a generous donation of $3 million from Marvin I. Danto toward the construction of the three-story building that adjoins the main College of Engineering building.
