After its renovation, UF’s Reitz Union might be one of the most sustainable buildings on campus.
The building is under review to become platinum-certified in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, the highest level of certification for energy efficiency a building can have, said Dustin Stephany, the sustainable building coordinator at UF. For it to be certified, it will have to pass inspections for water and energy sustainability.
UF ranks third among all U.S. colleges for the most LEED-certified buildings, Stephany said. If the Reitz Union becomes LEED-certified, it will be the fourth platinum-level building on campus.
All of the lights in the new Reitz Union and the connecting Constans Theatre are LED lights, he said, which are energy efficient.
Much of the construction on the Reitz Union used recycled materials such as concrete, metals and wood, said Eddie Daniels, the executive director of the Reitz.
“We recycled everything that we possibly could,” he said.
Almost half of the materials came from local sources within 500 miles of the university, Stephany said. This reduced the carbon impact of transporting materials.
The building was designed to save 33 percent on water and 42 percent on energy, Stephany said.
“People spend the majority of their lives in buildings, so it is important for us to find ways to make the indoor environment as healthy as possible,” Stephany said.
