ARTS building gets LEED Gold

Butte College’s new ARTS building was recently awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification by the U.S. Building Council, making it the first college building in Butte and Glenn counties to receive this level of certification, according to a Butte College press release.

The 77,000-square-foot building, which houses classrooms, studios, labs and a black-box theater, was built with sustainable features including evaporative cooling, waterless urinals, paint that reduces indoor air contaminants, and low-flow faucets and toilets. It also has a highly reflective rooftop for energy efficiency and exceeds California Title 24 Energy Code requirements by 40 percent. In addition, more than 95 percent of the debris generated during the $28.7 million project was recycled.

The LEED green-building rating system is a voluntary set of national standards for developing sustainable buildings. The college is in the process of getting its Student and Administrative Services building LEED-certified.