The University of Toledo’s Savage & Associates Complex for Business Learning and Engagement, an expansion of the College of Business and Innovation, has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
“LEED certification identifies Savage & Associates Complex for Business Learning and Engagement as a pioneering example of sustainable design and demonstrates your leadership in transforming the building industry,” said S. Richard Fedrizzi, president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Posing for a photo with the plaque signifying Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for the Savage & Associates Complex for Business Learning and Engagement are, from left, Dr. Thomas Sharkey, Robert Savage and his wife, Susan Savage, Dr. Thomas Gutteridge and President Lloyd Jacobs.
A plaque recognizing the achievement was placed in the second-floor atrium of the complex during a recent ceremony.
“Our goal is to acquire at least a LEED silver certification on all UT construction projects and, ultimately, to have our environmental impact be zero to achieve carbon neutrality,” noted Charles Lehnert, UT vice president for administration. “I subscribe to the notion that if you are doing good planning, good engineering and good architecture, you will be implementing green principles anyway.”
Lehnert explained that some of the criteria contributing to the Savage & Associates Complex LEED certification included recycling all construction material; using energy-efficient insulation, air handlers and glass; and changing the original orientation of the building as buildings facing south receive more sun throughout the day, absorb more heat, and require more cooling.
“From the beginning of developing a new facility for the college, we focused on what it takes to have something that was aesthetically appealing, effective and efficient. These were inseparable concepts,” said Dr. Thomas Gutteridge, UT senior vice provost and interim dean of the College of Social Justice and Human Service, who was dean of the College of Business and Innovation during the project’s development and construction.
“The keys to the new facility were that it would be very functional; dedicated to experiential learning through learning laboratories; would be technologically sophisticated; and that it also would be open to serve the business community,” he added. “The complex is clearly delivering on all cylinders, as promised. It is a facility that meets the needs of students, faculty and the business community.”
Robert Savage, co-founder and former president of Savage & Associates, said, “From my viewpoint, the outside of the building blends with the Lannon stone appearance of other UT buildings, but today this building is ‘green.’ The University has responded to the community to be a leader in green projects, and this building symbolizes the kind of technology students today need to succeed.”
“It’s great as an architect to have a project become real,” said Hal Munger of Munger, Munger + Associates Architects Inc. “Symbolically, this building is a bridge from Stranahan Hall to Bancroft Street, and from the past to the future. A project such as this takes a team and a lot of effort, and we are glad to be a part of it.”
Dr. Thomas Sharkey, interim dean of the College of Business and Innovation, added, “The Savage & Associates Complex is a sophisticated and environmentally friendly building that facilitates the learning and discovery of the students who come here. It contributes, with our faculty and staff, to our growing reputation as the premier business college in this region.”
Dedicated in 2009, the $15.4 million, 54,000-square-foot Savage & Associates Complex for Business Learning and Engagement includes 10 classrooms; five action-learning labs, including the John B. and Lillian E. Neff Trading Room with 15 Bloomberg terminals and the Huntington Professional Sales Lab; outreach and engagement suites; and the LaValley Family Rooftop Garden.
