Posts tagged 2012
CU’s biotechnology building earns LEED platinum rating
Oct 1st
The University of Colorado Boulder’s Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology building has received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, platinum rating — the highest possible evaluation — from the United States Green Building Council.
The 336,800-square-foot research and teaching facility opened in April on the university’s east campus. More than 60 faculty and 500 researchers, staff and students work inside, tackling a wide swath of challenges from cancer and heart disease to the development of new biofuels. LEED certification is a national benchmark for sustainable design, construction, operation and maintenance.
The building posed intense energy and water needs as well as complex safety requirements. “Earning a LEED platinum rating for such a large research building highlights the engineering challenges of providing safe and practical research space while ensuring the highest level of sustainability,” said Moe Tabrizi, director of campus sustainability.
The result is a building that is 30 percent more energy and water efficient than recently built buildings with a similar function. One tactic used by designers was to group labs with similar functions near each other in the building to centralize common lab equipment and maximize the efficiency of energy use, ventilation and heat recovery. The building’s mechanical and electrical systems incorporate significant energy savings and resource recovery.
The facility will have an array of large-scale, ground-mounted solar panels to help fulfill its energy needs. It also features evaporative cooling, which is the most energy-efficient cooling method in Colorado’s dry climate; daylight harvesting, lighting controls and LED technology; energy-efficient freezer compressors and lab exhaust fume hoods; low-flow plumbing and additional features.
The new building, which is prominent when accessing campus from Colorado Avenue and Foothills Parkway, also matches CU-Boulder’s distinct architectural look.
“This project demonstrates that we can achieve a high-performing, technically complex facility that blends our Tuscan Vernacular — or rural Italian — style with the demands of cutting-edge, 21st century world-class research,” said Paul Leef, campus architect.
The design team and campus engineers undertook a meticulous engineering process that combined best practices in green building, LEED requirements, and recommendations from Labs21, a program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy that is dedicated to improving the environmental performance of laboratories.
CU-Boulder is a sustainability leader in higher education. The campus currently has five LEED platinum rated buildings, eight gold rated buildings and one silver. The university is committed to earning gold ratings or higher for all new construction and renovations on campus.
Boulder police arrest two juveniles in fB threats to students
Sep 28th
Boulder police arrested two male juveniles this afternoon, Sept. 28, 2012, at approximately 2:30 p.m. at the Boulder County Juvenile Center in connection with Facebook threats to harm students and staff made last weekend at Boulder High School. They were charged with Harassment, Interference with Faculty and Students at an Educational Institution, and Conspiracy. They were booked and released to their parents.
The case number for this incident is 12-13067.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact Sergeant Jeff Kessler at 303-818-2263.
Fifth annual Lighten Up Boulder safety campaign offers discounts for bike lights
Sep 28th
As fall sets in and the days get shorter, the City of Boulder, Community Cycles, the University of Colorado (CU) and local businesses are teaming up for the fifth annual Lighten Up Boulder safety campaign to encourage the use of bike lights for nighttime riding. The campaign offers 10 to 20 percent discounts on select bike light accessories at participating Boulder businesses.
Bike light coupons can be printed from the GOBoulder.net website or picked up during business hours at the following locations:
- the GO Boulder office at 1739 Broadway, second floor,
- the Community Cycles shop at 2805 Wilderness Place, Suite 1000; or
- the CU Bike Station on campus at the University Memorial Center (UMC).
The coupons can be redeemed at any of the eight different retailers listed on the coupon and are valid through Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012.
The campaign also reminds cyclists that biking at night without proper lighting is both illegal and unsafe. Without bike lights, cyclists cannot see what’s ahead and drivers cannot see cyclists. The Boulder Revised Code requires all cyclists traveling between sunset and sunrise to equip their bikes with both a mounted white light on the front and a red reflector on the back (B.R.C. 7-5-11: Bicycle Headlight and Reflector Required).
“Riding your bike at night without adequate lighting can result in dangerous situations for you and others, as well as a $50 fine,” said Bicycle/Pedestrian Transportation Planner Marni Ratzel. “We hope that this campaign will encourage more cyclists to mount lights on their bikes, making nighttime travel in Boulder safer for cyclists, drivers and pedestrians.”
For access to bike light coupons, bike maps and safety tips, visit www.goboulder.net.