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RALEIGH, N.C. (October 20, 2009) - Educators, business leaders, elected officials and Wake Tech Trustees joined Dr. Stephen Scott, President of Wake Technical Community College, in cutting the ribbon for the newest building at the Northern Wake Campus. “Building D” opened for classes August 17 and is the third classroom building to be constructed on the 121-acre campus. The Northern Wake Campus is the first in the nation to be completely LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

“We’re so proud of this campus,” said Dr. Scott, “as a testament to Wake Tech’s commitment to sustainable design and responsible growth. This building brings important new elements to the educational experience here, offering instructional space along with other resources, and providing students and faculty with space for connection and interaction.”

At just under 75,000 square feet, Building D is the largest of the three instructional buildings on the Northern Wake Campus. It has 29 classrooms, including nine computer labs, two physics labs, two fine arts classrooms, a drama room, and a distance learning classroom, as well as a coffee shop for students, staff and faculty.

Building D has been constructed to achieve LEED Silver certification, one of the highest LEED levels, and may surpass that to achieve LEED Gold. Its sustainable features include “daylight harvesting,” which automatically adjusts inside lighting according to available outside light; a white roof to reflect sunlight; and sun-blocking louvers on the south side. Like the campus’s other buildings, it has high-efficiency condensing boilers, fans and pump motors; low-flush valves on toilets; and automatic sensors on faucets in restrooms. These features are designed to reduce electricity use on the campus by more than 30% and cut water use almost in half. In addition, builders reduced construction waste by more than 50% through recycling.

Wake Tech’s commitment to building a sustainable campus demonstrates the College’s broader commitment to environmental, fiscal, and social responsibility. The Northern Wake Campus has been the recipient of numerous awards for sustainability, including the Raleigh Appearance Committee’s Sir Walter Raleigh Award presented earlier this month; the City of Raleigh’s Green Design Award and the Green Building of America Award from Construction Communications. In 2008, it received the Innovation of the Year Award from the League for Innovation and a Green Award from Triangle Business Journal.

Posted October 20th, 2009 by Sheree Ward. Announcements