New center for health sciences enhances environmentally-friendly campus


TACOMA, Wash. – Weyerhaeuser Hall, the new health sciences building, has earned University of Puget Sound it’s the third LEED Gold rating for excellence in the design and construction of environmentally friendly buildings. The 42,500-square-foot, Tudor Gothic style facility was granted the coveted, second-highest U.S. certification for sustainable building practices last month.

The recognition means that the William T. and Gail T. Weyerhaeuser Center for Health Sciences building has met high standards for the use of sustainable materials and for adhering to stringent environmental guidelines, as set by the U.S. Green Building Council in its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

Previous buildings to gain LEED Gold include the Facilities Services complex (awarded September 2009) and the Live Green House (October 2008), a student residence that serves as a model of sustainable housing.

“The design and work that went into Weyerhaeuser Hall have been admired by neighbors, campus members, and friends of the university, and it was a great honor to also be recognized for our sustainable standards by the U.S. Green Building Council, said Bob Kief, associated vice president for facilities services. “The architects and contractors did a superb job in creating a space and design that is human, practical, and environmentally friendly.”

The project was led on campus by Kief and Ally Bujacich, director of capital development. Weyerhaeuser Hall features include:

  • 40 geo-thermal wells, 300 feet deep, that provide warm water for the building’s use
  • more than 97 percent of all construction waste was diverted from landfill sites
  • a quarter of all materials used in the building had at least 10–20 percent recycled content
  • more than a fifth of all materials were manufactured and produced within 500 miles of campus
  • paints, coatings, carpets, wood, and agrifiber used inside emit  low levels of air pollutants
  • about 94 percent of all regularly occupied space in Weyerhaeuser is daylight lit and has a view
  • 32 miles of radiant floor tubing heat the interior building space

Weyerhaeuser Hall was designed by architect Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, and built by general contractor GLY Construction and civil and structural engineer AHBL. Additional work was done by WSP Flack & Kurtz (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection), Swift Company (landscape architect), and Candela (lighting design).

In late May, Weyerhaeuser Hall was also recognized for the quality of its design and building work by the Masonry Institute of Washington (MIW). It was awarded the 2012 Excellence in Masonry Design Honor Award in the higher education category at the MIW’s biannual awards dinner in Seattle.

Weyerhaeuser Hall was funded by generous donations from friends and alumni of the college as part of the $125 million The University of Puget Sound Campaign. It opened in August 2011 for classes and clinic patients. The building is devoted to teaching, research, and clinical work in exercise science, neuroscience, psychology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.          

The U.S. Green Building Council, based in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit organization committed to a sustainable future for the United States through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a mark of excellence that provides building owners with a framework for implementing green building design, construction, operations, and maintenance solutions. 

For more about One [of a Kind] The Campaign for University of Puget Sound visit: https://www.pugetsound.edu/one-of-a-kind/

Press photos of Weyerhaeuser Hall can be downloaded from: www.pugetsound.edu/pressphotos

Photos on page: Weyerhaeuser Hall and view of Mount Rainier from Weyerhaeuser Hall window, by Ross Mulhausen

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