LEED Platinum for UWT's Joy Building

Tacoma has one more LEED certified building to add to its list of green accomplishments, and this one’s platinum. UW Tacoma’s newest building, the Russell T. Joy Building opened this year, and now it has received LEED Platinum certification.

The new UWT building claims the distinction of becoming the first both in Tacoma and the UW to earn the Platinum rating as a “new construction/major remodel” (LEED-NC v2.2), and only the second state-funded building project at that level. This rating exceeds the State requirement that all state-funded new construction and major renovation projects meet at least LEED Silver levels.

The requirements for LEED Platinum certification are quite rigorous. The Joy Building project was able to meet these in large part due to the fact that it includes a system that captures and reuses 90% of rainwater that hits it. Based on preliminary plans for the Hood Corridor project, we’re expecting to see this theme spread on the campus.

Other green building practices that helped the Joy project achieve Platinum ranking were reductions in water use and waste in the construction process, high percentages of building structure reuse and recycled materials (83.9% and 22.7%, respectively). About one fifth of materials were purchased within 500 miles, reducing the building’s carbon footprint, and 100% of the wood used was Forest Stewardship Council certified. Transportation related features include an electric vehicle charging station, oodles of secure bike storage, and ready access to public transportation in a dense urban neighborhood with “community connectivity.” As the building operates, it will continue to be green, with energy use cut by nearly half, daylight filtering through to almost all occupied spaces in the building, and green cleaning practices.

Read more from the Tacoma Daily Index, or take a walk down Pacific and see it for yourself.