Leahy Hall Awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Certification
The University of Scranton’s eight-story Leahy Hall, which serves as home of the Panuska College of Professional Studies departments of physical therapy, occupational therapy and exercise science, was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, silver-level certification.
The University of Scranton’s 117,420-square-foot Edward R. Leahy Jr. Hall has earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, silver-level certification.
LEED certification is globally recognized as the premier mark of achievement in green building practice. Facilities earning LEED certification must prove to have met or exceeded requirements based on criteria set by U.S. Green Building Council.
Leahy Hall is the third University building to achieve LEED certification. The University’s 118,000-square-foot Patrick and Margaret DeNaples Center achieved silver-level LEED recognition in 2009, becoming the city of Scranton’s first LEED certified building. The University’s 200,000-square-foot Loyola Science Center earned LEED gold status in 2014.
Materials used, water efficiency and energy-saving devices were among the key factors considered for the Leahy Hall’s certification. Among the many “green features” of the eight-story building are a green roof and patio, water efficient landscaping, use of recycled materials, innovative automated heating and high-efficiency air conditioning temperature control system, low consumption water fixtures, lighting controls, lighting occupancy sensors and efficient lighting including many LED light fixtures and LED exterior lighting. Also, many of the materials for Leahy Hall were supplied from within a 500-mile radius.
“In addition, as is the practice on the rest of our campus, green cleaning supplies and equipment are used to maintain Leahy Hall by our facilities operations staff on a daily basis,” said Mark Murphy, the University’s director of sustainability, who also noted that many of the environmentally-friendly features of the LEED certified buildings are also used in the University’s other facilities.
Leahy Hall serves as home of the Panuska College of Professional Studies departments of physical therapy, occupational therapy and exercise science. The facility, dedicated in September 2015, includes 25 state-of-the-art laboratories, nine traditional and active-learning classrooms and multiple simulation environments. Officially the tallest building on the University’s campus at 130 feet, Leahy Hall is designed to facilitate research, expand service-learning projects, and put the best simulation environments, applied-science laboratories, equipment and technology directly in the hands of students and faculty. In addition, the facility creates a unified entrance to McGurrin Hall, which houses the other departments of the Panuska College of Professional Studies (nursing, education, human resources, counseling and health administration) and the Leahy Community Health and Family Center.
