Newswise — Ithaca College will officially dedicate the new Peggy Ryan Williams Center on Thursday, Oct. 8. Named for the college’s seventh president — now president emerita — the building incorporates the highest principles of sustainable design.
The center houses the Office of the President and other senior administration, Office of Human Resources, Division of Enrollment Management and Division of Graduate and Professional Studies.
The facility was designed by HOLT Architects to achieve platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, the highest standard from the U.S. Green Building Council. Over 50% of the building’s energy comes from renewable sources, with a geothermal system using the Earth’s relatively consistent temperature to provide heating and cooling.
Other sustainable features of the building include:• Nearly 6,500 square feet of vegetated roof area to replace land taken by the building, reducing airborne pollutants and adding oxygen to the air.• Natural convection ventilation that pre-cools the atrium at the start of each day by drawing cooler night air across a shade garden on the north side of the building and relieving it out the light monitor four stories above.• Sensors that control light fixtures and mechanical ventilation based on natural light levels and occupancy to reduce their use and conserve electricity.• A 12,000-gallon tank below the garden that collects rainwater from the roof, serving over 85% of the building’s yearly water needs.
The building is located adjacent to the Dorothy D. and Roy H. Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise, which opened in 2008 as the new home of the School of Business and has already earned platinum LEED certification. Should the Peggy Ryan Williams Center also achieve that status, Ithaca would be the only college or university in the world to have two campus buildings with the highest LEED ranking.
In addition to offices, the 58,000-square-foot building features a large atrium overlooking Cayuga Lake and a multipurpose auditorium for admissions presentations to prospective students and their families.
Tours of the building and its many sustainable features will be given beginning at 3:30 p.m., with a reception at 4 p.m. and formal dedication ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Taking part will be Ithaca College president Tom Rochon, president emerita Peggy R. Williams and members of the college’s board of trustees.
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