Will UVA become a “green" LEED-er?

Part of the South Lawn project, the new Arts & Sciences building will be the first UVA building to strive for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification—but if a proposal goes through, it won’t be the last. The building and grounds committee of the Board of Visitors (BOV) (www.virginia.edu/bov) recommended at their December 11 meeting that “all major new and renovation building projects” have “a minimum of a LEED Certified rating upon completion.” While the committee suggested it go straight to the full BOV for approval, Rector Thomas F. Farrell wants it to go first to the finance committee to study how much it will hit the University’s wallet. UVA estimates that LEED certification adds at least 1.5 percent to a project’s cost.