First LEED Certified Building at K-State

The Mary Lynn and Warren Staley School of Leadership Studies is proud to have been the first LEED certified building on K-State's campus. The building was approved at the “Gold” certification level. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the LEED® Green Building Rating System™ is a framework for identifying, implementing, and measuring green building and neighborhood design, construction, operations, and maintenance. The mission of the LEED initiative is to encourage and accelerate global adoption of sustainable and green building and neighborhood development practices through the creation and implementation of a universally understood and accepted benchmark encompassing existing and new standards, tools, and performance criteria.

A Sustainable Facility

Eco-friendly practices are central to the building's design and construction. Highlights of these building achievements include:

  • Reduced transportation impact by building in an established neighborhood
  • Restored habitat and optimized open space and vegetation
  • Reduced storm water impact
  • Reduced heat gain
  • Reduced need for irrigation due to landscaping selection
  • Reduced potable water use by 50% inside building with fixture selection

Energy and atmosphere

  • Increase in energy efficiency – 28% (minimum standard 14%)
  • Reduced environmental impact from using less energy to heat and cool the building

Materials and resources

  • Designated recycling center in the building to create a culture of recycling
  • Construction waste management (Diverted 95% of debris from landfill)
  • Recycled material 10%, mainly steel and fly ash from concrete
  • Supported local economies to reduce transportation impact

Indoor Environmental Quality

  • Low emitting materials (e.g., adhesives and sealants, paints, carpet, composite wood)
  • Provided motion sensor lighting controls
  • Walk off mats capture dirt and dust particles as people walk into building

Innovation & design

  • Maximized Open Space
  • Exemplary credit for waste diversion