Students LEED-ing Crookston: University of Minnesota LEED Dormitory

In a changing community, advances in sustainability are often the result of key individuals who provide the passion, the motivation, the inspiration, and the guidance to a particular project. Such was the case on the University of Minnesota – Crookston (UMC) campus when two UMC students discovered that plans for a new dormitory had incorporated no green or sustainable aspects.

In 2007, the campus was in the planning stages of a new dormitory for their growing student community. At that time, the University of Minnesota system did not have a single LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) dormitory on any of its campuses. So when a proposal for a new dorm was delivered for the Crookston campus, the construction methods were conventional, lacking incorporation of new green building standards.

Chris Waltz and his roommate at the time, Erick Elgin, were typical students at Crookston in the fall of 2008. Both brought a passion for conservation to the campus community and felt incorporating sustainability into the new building was a necessity. While they had no technical expertise, they knew they could organize a supportive movement. Waltz and Elgin drafted a petition to urge the Crookston campus to incorporate design and construction features to achieve LEED certification. The goal was to gain support from UMC students, faculty, and staff to make radical changes to the proposed dorm. Waltz and Elgin met with a variety of clubs, individual students, the Crookston Student Association (CSA)–UMC’s student government–and gathered over 300 signatures, which at the time accounted for about one quarter of the student body.

Marshall Johnson, a CSA senator 2007-2008 met Waltz and Elgin at a CSA executive board meeting later that winter. He recalls, “That was the first time I heard of LEED, and I supported it instantly because I felt it fulfilled the mission of a land grant University.”

Together, Chris and Erick applied for a NW CERT grant, with the guidance of faculty leaders. The funding the student committee received from CERTs helped turn ideas into reality. The guidelines set by the grant helped the students develop a reasonable plan and provided resources for outreach and education, creating key visibility for the project as they approached administrators.

In the spring of 2008, Waltz, Elgin, and student supporters presented the petition at a campus assembly. Waltz explained why they felt incorporating sustainability into the planning and construction of the new dormitory was important and afterward the chancellor, Charles Casey, signed the petition showing support to incorporate sustainable design into the dormitory to meet LEED certification.

With the request publicly made, active students formed a committee, Crookston Students for Sustainable Development (CSSD). This group was comprised of a unique group of students in important leadership positions who all had a common vision of where UM-Crookston could be in terms of sustainability. This group would be primarily responsible to keep the effort alive and respond to campus community concerns about whether the dorm would raise tuition or room and board fees.

Some of the students from CSSD visited the Waldsee BioHaus at Concordia Language Villages in Bemidji, Minnesota to get an idea of what could be done in terms of sustainable development in Minnesota. Armed with new information on the possibilities for the new dorm, students attended one of the design meetings with the architect, chancellor, and other relevant staff and a student representative. Quickly, the choice was made to move forward with a LEED certification.

The architect for the project, Michael J. Burns Architects, LTD, had LEED Accredited Professional (AP) and more than qualified to make the necessary changes to the design. The changes were made to the interior design and construction, which was both effective and public, but also affordable. The project cost actually ended up below the estimated and budgeted cost, demonstrating that sustainable design can be cost-effective.

After approval of the final plans, the dorm was completed in the fall of 2008, successfully gaining LEED certification. Evergreen, the name of the dorm, is now the most popular building on campus.

Today, Evergreen Hall stands as a legacy to the work of students to take UMN-Crookston a different direction. The petition and achievements of the students represents the first major environmental initiative on the campus, not only resulting in a greener building, but in the community foundations for further projects. The CSA now has a sustainability position to seek out similar opportunities. CSSD is still alive and very active. Also, each year, the freshman class attends an orientation that takes them through Evergreen Hall to become familiar with the sustainability principles and values of the campus.

Clearly, a legacy was created by this student-led project for sustainability on the University of Minnesota, Crookston campus. “Being a student you have a lot more sway,” Waltz said. “There is something to be said about 300 students voicing the same opinion.” His advice to others is to do your homeowrk and then start talking to people, because their success “snowballed out of one idea.”

Linda Kingery, a mentor to both Chris and Erick and UMC staff, sums the project up well: “The UMC project has many specific, concrete accomplishments including the LEED certification of Evergreen Residence Hall, creation of Crookston Students for Sustainable Development, but the most important outcome is the trajectory it created for the student leaders involved and those who have the opportunity to follow in their footsteps.”

Project Snapshot:

• Purpose: Student-led initiative to incorporate LEED certification on a new residence hall on a university campus
• Technology: LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
• Grant: $5,000 NW CERT grant for student education and outreach
• Benefits:+ Student leadership and organization building, less waste, better interior air quality, demonstration of green design and sustainable values

What is LEED? LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally-recognized green building certification system. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in March 2000, LEED provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

For more information, contact Professor Dan Svedarsky at UMC at 218-281-8129 or email dsvedars@umn.edu.
 

Video about this project from our recent documentary, ENERGIZED: Communities Building Minnesota’s Clean Energy Future, released November 2011.