Gresham Smith-Designed USF Library Renovation Earns LEED Silver Certification
Gresham Smith is proud to announce renovations at the University of South Florida’s main library achieved silver certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) v4 ID+C: Commercial Interiors program. The firm completed an extensive renovation of the library’s fifth floor, creating a flexible, technology-friendly space that supports a variety of study preferences.
“USF is educating some of the best and brightest in the areas of research, technology and innovation. This was a fun and rewarding opportunity for our team to design an inspiring and useful space to support student and faculty success,” said Mary Couch, NCIDQ, IIDA, LEED AP BD+C, Jacksonville Corporate + Urban Design studio leader, Gresham Smith. “From the start we wanted to create a space that could flex for varying and evolving studying needs and preferences, while being intentional in our design decisions to improve operational performance and meet the project’s sustainability goals. It’s with thanks to the entire project team for the commitment throughout the project that we were able to exceed our initial goals and earn LEED Silver certification.”
To meet the green building rating system’s sustainability criteria, the design team:
- Used building materials that have positive environmental, health and safety impacts, including floor tile made of 30 percent recycled content
- Reused more than 50 percent of the building’s existing structural elements
- Used furniture and paint made from materials with low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Integrated daylight-responsive controls and increased interior glazing
- Diverted 96 percent of all on-site construction debris from the landfill
- Developed a Green Building Education strategy, including a case study and self-guided tour of the space
- Installed efficient HVAC systems that optimize energy performance, which led to an annual energy cost savings of 14 percent
- Implemented designated carpool parking spaces, reducing the library’s parking footprint by 60 percent