The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. LEED certified buildings use key resources more efficiently when compared to conventional buildings which are simply built to code.
LEED certified buildings have healthier work and living environments, which contributes to higher productivity and improved employee health and comfort. The USGBC has also compiled a long list of benefits of implementing a LEED strategy which ranges from improving air and water quality to reducing solid waste, benefitting owners, occupiers, and society as a whole.
Wofford has made a commitment to consider these standards as a significant part of discussions and planning regarding all new and future campus construction projects. Several of Wofford's newest projects are likely to achieve LEED Silver designation, which means they have earned 33-38 points on the LEED Rating system.
Glendale Shoals
Wofford College Environmental Studies Center at Glendale Shoals will be Wofford's first LEED certified building. Repurposing an existing site and structures from a historic textile mill, the Glendale Facility will contain two laboratory spaces for research ranging from toxicology studies in biology and chemistry courses to natural history surveys of flora and fauna.
From this vantage point, students will have on-the-ground, real-time interactions with the natural and cultural issues they read about in the classroom.
A central great room will be used as a gathering place for students, faculty and community members. Here, they are able to come together to learn about topics such as environmental writing and sustainable living while also participating in workshops regarding the history, geography and culture of the Glendale community from Wofford faculty and experts from around the world. A library and office space will house program materials and serve as a base of operations for managing the use of the Glendale Building. A large deck on the back of the building will be used for classes, seminars, and other activities.
The project represents a significant leap forward in environmental design for the college and the community.
The Roger Milliken Arboretum
The Roger Milliken Arboretum is a green oasis showcasing more than 5,120 trees over more than 170 acres. The world-class horticultural display helps promote environmental consciousness, educate the community and heighten awareness of the importance of trees
Visitors interested in the arboretum's 250 species of trees – from magnolias common in the South the exotic Asian specimens to recently developed conifers – can log onto www.wofford.edu/arboretum for a multimedia presentation of the arboretum and even download the audio to their iPods or other MP3 players so they can hear the descriptions as they stroll among the trees on campus.
Wofford became a designated arboretum in 2002 with the help of nationally renowned tree expert Michael Dirr and landscape architect Rick Webel.
The Village
The Village, Wofford College’s senior student apartment complex, has been nationally recognized with a Merit Award in the 27th Annual Builder’s Choice Design & Planning Awards presented by Builder magazine. Nearly 500 entries were considered in the competition, which sets the standard for design and planning excellence in the industry.
In addition to providing a sense of community with interesting residential architecture, the front porches, bicycle and pedestrian-friendly streets, shops and outdoor recreation areas take advantage of energy efficient construction concepts and help promote environmentally aware lifestyles.
It’s the “new urban” kind of place that Richard Florida has described in his series of books, most recently “Cities and the Creative Class,” where the three Ts (technology, talent and tolerance) take root and flourish.