Tour: Mills College Platinum & Gold June 7, 2011

Join USGBC-NCC's San Francisco Bay Bridge Branch for a tour of Mills College! We'll be taking a close look at the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business as well as the Moore Natural Sciences Building.

Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business

Mills College opened the doors to an architecturally innovative, socially engaging and environmentally sustainable new building that embodies the school’s core values: entrepreneurial leadership, collaborative learning, and socially responsible practices to transcend boundaries for women in business.

Located at the symbolic gateway to campus, the new 28,000 square foot LEED-NC Gold certified building provides a prominent location and innovative design that integrates state of the art building technology with effective sustainable strategies. Forward looking, yet respectful of its historical context, the L-shaped plan and southwest orientation promote the conservation of historic green space and provide optimal solar benefits. The design highlights a new focal point that reinforces the campus core by encouraging both academic and impromptu interaction.

Some of the buildings features include a living roof, reclaimed wood from the building site, rainwater harvesting & water recycling, sensor controlled operable windows and solar shading.

Moore Natural Sciences Building

The Moore Natural Sciences Building is the first privately funded LEED-NC Platinum Building in Oakland and the fourth building in the Bay Area to be platinum certified.

The 26,000 square-foot facility brought together programs such as psychology, biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, biopsychology, chemistry, and environmental science under one roof to encourage interdisciplinary study. It was built to advance one of Mills' core commitments to women's leadership in the sciences. The building is almost 90 percent more energy efficient than a typical lab in the Bay Area and 45 percent more energy efficient than required by the State of California.

Its green elements include: recycled carpeting; automatic sensors to switch lights on or off; tall windows to increase the depth of natural light and decrease the use of artificial lights; energy efficient glass windows; and photovoltaic panels on the roof that provide 30 percent of the building's electrical needs; rainwater harvestings and water recycling.

"Mills College will be a showcase for a high-performance, energy-efficient, healthy campus, and an inspiration for others," said Rick Fedrizzi, President and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Official Website: http://www.usgbc-ncc.org/index.php?option=com_events&type=event&task=details&id=1043&Itemid=109