Madonna University officials were hoping its new Franciscan Center building would be silver LEED certified, so when it was awarded gold status last month, it made the designation that much more, well, golden.
The building, home to the university's science and media studies, opened in time for fall classes last year. It’s the first new building on campus in four decades, offering classrooms, offices, audio and television studies, a cafe, and a student gathering area in its 65,000 square feet.
The 4,500-student university was sure it had earned silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, but last month brought home the gold from the Green Building Certification Institute, making it the first in Livonia.
Madonna University President Sr. Rose Marie Kujawa says that because they’d never done a LEED-certified building before, they wanted to set a goal that was reasonable, and shot for silver status.
"We worked very diligently to earn every point that we could, only to find out we were just two or three points away from gold," she says.
And because the point system determining LEED level -- certified, silver, gold, and platinum -- is ever-evolving, they took a closer look at anything additional that could be done to earn an extra point or two, such as using green maintenance products or managing the building's energy in a particular way. The $20 million invested in the building’s environmentally friendly features resulted in recycled carpeting, natural lighting, motion-detecting lights, low-flow plumbing, and cork and bamboo floors.
Not only is the recognition to the university’s planning and commitment, but it also speaks to its Franciscan values as a Catholic university. Plus, the building looks nice, too. Sr. Kujawa says those involved the planning process didn’t think a green building had to look like a factory, and the architects successfully designed it around the campus’ pond, using a lot of natural light.
"Everyone who's heard about it is thrilled," she says. "It's not just good for Madonna University, it's good for the environment, city, everyone associated with city, everyone associated with green building concepts. We're very happy."
Source: Sr. Rose Marie Kujawa, president of Madonna University
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
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