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For further information, contact the MBL Communications Office at (508) 289-7423 or e-mail us at comm@mbl.edu
For Immediate Release: January 4, 2011
Contact: Gina Hebert, 508-289-7725; ghebert@mbl.edu
MBL’s Loeb Laboratory Lands Prestigious Gold LEED® Green Building Certification
WOODS HOLE, MA—The Marine Biological Laboratory’s (MBL) Loeb Laboratory has been awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.
The Loeb Laboratory achieved LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water, and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. By using less energy and water, LEED certified buildings save money for families, businesses, and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers, and the larger community.
“The green building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most-important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council. “The work of innovative building projects such as the Loeb Laboratory renovation is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement.”
LEED certification of the Loeb Laboratory was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community, including:
Site selection: Reuse of the existing building structure was recognized as a sustainable feature of the project.
- Energy savings: The use of additional envelope insulation and air barriers, reflective white roofing, efficient lighting design, and energy efficient HVAC, including heat recovery for the gas-fired chillers, condensing boilers, and domestic water heaters.
- Water efficiency: Waterless urinals, dual-flush toilets, low-flow faucets, and a special water treatment system that reduces the volume of water required to operate the cooling towers.
- Low-emitting materials: Low VOC emitting materials such as sealants, adhesives, paints, and composite materials were used throughout the building to improve indoor environmental quality.
- Recycled Content: 20% of the new materials used in the building contain post-consumer + 1/2 pre-consumer content.
- Certified wood: 100% of the wood used in laboratory casework and doors is certified to have come from managed, sustainably grown forests.
- Construction Waste Management: 98% of the demolition waste from the building construction was recycled rather than sent to a landfill. (This was quite substantial since the building was entirely gutted down to structure.)
- Non-LEED sustainability: The Cape Light Compact program has achieved a rebate for the MBL of more than $100,000 for following the advanced building program, the largest award given out to date.
The Loeb Laboratory is the MBL’s central research training facility and the cornerstone of its world-famous life sciences education programs. The $25 million renovation, funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, involved a complete gutting of the 66,000 square-foot building’s internal infrastructure to create a thoroughly modernized facility.
“Climate change is one of the most pressing scientific problems facing our generation. I’m honored and proud that the Loeb Laboratory has achieved LEED gold certification and look forward to continued efforts that we can take here at the MBL to be a responsible member of the global society,” said MBL Director and CEO, Gary Borisy.
The Loeb Laboratory renovation was designed by Tsoi/Kobus & Associates of Cambridge, MA and built by Shawmut Design and Construction of Boston, MA. The new Loeb Laboratory opened its doors in June, 2010.
"Our work with the MBL is intended to secure their well-earned reputation as a global leader in marine research," said Jonathan Cohen, associate principal at TK&A. "It was essential to all team members that both the building process and the resulting improvements meet or exceed environmental standards. This acknowledgement by the USGBC is a great validation of our hard work."
The MBL is a leading international, independent, nonprofit institution dedicated to discovery and to improving the human condition through creative research and education in the biological, biomedical and environmental sciences. Founded in 1888 as the Marine Biological Laboratory, the MBL is the oldest private marine laboratory in the Americas. For more information, visit www.mbl.edu.
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Over 32,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising over 9.6 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 114 countries. By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. USGBC was co-founded by current President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, who spent 25 years as a Fortune 500 executive. Under his 15-year leadership, the organization has become the preeminent green building, membership, policy, standards, influential, education and research organization in the nation. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.
The MBL is a leading international, independent, nonprofit institution dedicated to discovery and to improving the human condition through creative research and education in the biological, biomedical and environmental sciences. Founded in 1888 as the Marine Biological Laboratory, the MBL is the oldest private marine laboratory in the Americas. For more information, visit www.mbl.edu.
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