September 1, 2009

MEDIA CONTACT:
Michelle Sherrard
202-994-1423; mcs1@gwu.edu

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY OPENS FIRST LEED BUILDING SEPT. 3, 2009

South Hall is University's Newest Residence Hall

EVENT:  GW will officially open its first LEED building and newest residence hall-South Hall. Steven Knapp, GW president, will make remarks. Tours of the green design building will follow.
   
WHEN:  Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009; 9 a.m.
   
WHERE:  The George Washington University

South Hall Courtyard

2135 F St., NW, Washington, D.C.

Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro (Orange and Blue lines)
   
RSVP:  Media are welcome and should RSVP to Michelle Sherrard at 202-994-1423 or mcs1@gwu.edu.
   
BACKGROUND:    
 

South Hall houses 474 fourth-year students in apartment-style living. The building was constructed with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council. Green design features include bamboo paneling, which is a sustainable alternative to typical hardwoods; low-flow water fixtures that will help decrease water usage by 30 percent; carpet tile that is certified Climate Neutral Cool Carpet, which cancels out all greenhouse gas emissions associated with the lifecycle of the carpet; and Energy Star appliances, which will use approximately 20 to 30 percent less energy. 

The residence hall offers students bike storage and fuel efficient vehicle parking and recycling facilities on each floor of the ten-story building. Prior to occupancy, rigorous air quality testing was completed to confirm compliance with EPA standards. Low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints were used throughout the building to reduce odor and irritation for indoor air contaminants. Highly insulated wall systems, energy efficient windows with double pane, low-e glass and an Energy Star white roof improves energy performance of the building by 24.5 percent over the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards for residential buildings. GW has also purchased Renewable Wind Energy Credits for 70 percent of the electricity used in the building for the first two years.

The George Washington University is committed to operating its programs and activities in ways that meet its responsibilities as a pre-eminent institutional citizen of the nation's capital. While universities have a relatively small physical sustainability footprint, we have a large impact on the current dialogue and the next generation of leaders.  This is why GW is making significant investments in greening our campus, pioneering solutions through cutting edge research, providing quality education, and supporting intellectual discourse on pressing sustainability issues. In the coming year we will be launching new projects for sustainability including a community garden and a carbon neutrality plan. Follow GW's sustainability efforts at http://twitter.com/Sustain_GW, join the Facebook group: Sustainability at GW or visit http://sustainability.gwu.edu. 

-GW-