Western’s award winning Integrated Technology Center (ITC), completed in 2016, was awarded a LEED platinum certification, the highest possible rating. Instead of demolishing and building from scratch, the ITC was built on the bones of a 1970s era building thereby diverting about 1000 tons of construction material out of the landfill. The building hosts a number of sustainability features inside and out:
- Green Roof - More than one third of the ITC’s roof is covered in self-sustaining plants. Green roof technology is important in maximizing green space and reducing the Urban Heat Island Effect. This green roof in particular has a sustainable irrigation system that monitors the weather and adjusts the soil moisture to weather conditions.
- Living Wall - Our two story living wall located on the 3rd and 4th floors of the building is made up of over 3,900 individual plants. These plants serve to clean the air and are juxtaposed with the industrial feel of the interior.
- Transportation - The parking lot of the ITC is full of sustainability features. We try to promote biking as a viable form of transportation to school and work, or the use of other forms of green transportation. The ITC parking lot has spots specifically for “low emitting vehicles.” There is also an electric car charger and a bike repair station.
Did you know? There are also 128 geothermal wells under the ITC parking lot that reach down 400 feet for a total of 19 miles of piping! We use the geothermal system as an efficient method to heat and cool the building.