UF has more eco-friendly buildings than any other American university.
A recently published paper about buildings in colleges recognized UF as having the most certifications by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
The LEED certification system is operated by the U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington-based non-profit organization.
In 2003, UF became the first organization in Florida to receive a gold LEED rating. In 2008, UF became the first organization in Florida to receive a platinum rating, which is the highest rank.
According to the paper, written by green building expert Jerry Yudelson, UF is a national trendsetter that is “well-known for [its] green building standards.”
Some of UF’s 15 certified buildings include Library West and Rinker Hall, with gold certifications, and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium’s 60,000-square-foot expansion, which earned UF’s only platinum rating.
Harvard University, with 39 LEED projects, which are LEED buildings that are not yet completed, is second to UF’s 60 LEED projects in the ranking.
UF’s policy requires all new construction to earn at least a gold rating.
The university’s next step is to upgrade existing buildings, said Bahar Armaghani, assistant director for the UF LEED program.
UF has selected 32 buildings that need renovation to be updated to meet LEED certification, Armaghani said.
