Claremont, Calif. (May 27, 2008)—Pitzer College has been awarded Gold LEED® certification by The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its three new residence halls. Pitzer is the first Claremont College to receive Gold LEED certification for its residence halls and is among the few colleges and universities in the nation to achieve this major milestone.
“Pitzer College is to be congratulated for achieving Gold LEED Certification. These facilities are ones that the community can be proud of,” USGBC President, CEO and Founding Chair Rick Fedrizzi said. “Pitzer College will be a showcase for high-performance, energy-efficient, healthy living and an inspiration for others.”
True to the College’s community style governance, Pitzer students, faculty, alumni and staff actively participated in the planning of this project and believe green building principles mirror the College’s goals and values of global sustainability. The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED criteria guided the overall project design. Initially, the project’s goal was to achieve a Silver LEED certification. However, Gold LEED certification resulted as a result of the strong efforts on the part of the project team, support of the entire college community, and the leadership of President Laura Skandera Trombley.
The residence halls allow for both formal and informal learning and include new art studios, study rooms, a music practice room, a computer lab, wireless Internet access, learning communities with faculty in residence, amenities to encourage indoor-outdoor interactions, green buildings that teach about how to live sustainably, and outdoor gardens that serve as a living laboratory for learning.
“We are so pleased that our artfully and sustainably designed and built residence halls have earned Gold LEED certification by USGBC. Our success in achieving this rating belongs to the many members of our community who gave their time, expertise and passion to this project,” Pitzer College President Laura Skandera Trombley said.
