Stony Brook dorms earn LEED certification

Stony Brook University’s newest student dormitories earned a gold LEED certification this summer for its energy efficiency and environmentally sound materials, university officials announced.

Nobel Halls, opened in August 2010, are the first SBU residence halls to gain such recognition. They are named for Nobel Prize winners C.N. Yang and Paul Lauterbur, both former Stony Brook faculty members. More than 600 students live in the two buildings, a combined 173,000 square feet, during the academic year.

The rooms have individual temperature control and sensors that automatically lower air conditioning when unoccupied to reduce energy use. The buildings were constructed with nontoxic adhesives and paints and with materials that were recycled and locally manufactured, said John Sparano, director of campus residences operations.

“We house a total of 10,000 students, so it’s no small feat for us,” Sparano said.

The state requires all new buildings and major rehabilitation projects to meet the guidelines of the U.S. Green Building Council LEED rating system for a silver certification level. Gold is the second highest level of LEED certification, and platinum is the highest.

The dorms will be a model for green construction and renovation throughout the campus, said Dallas Bauman, assistant vice president for campus residences.

Two planned projects — a 759-bed student residence with a 60,000-square-foot dining hall and an apartment building for medical and dental students near the hospital — will get LEED certification.

“We have to do silver but we’re going for gold,” Bauman said.