The Dental Science Building addition at the University of Iowa has earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

LEED is the nationally recognized benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of eco-friendly, sustainable buildings. It provides independent verification that the addition is built in an environmentally responsible manner.

The addition incorporates LEED elements in five categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environment.

Some of the green aspects of the building include:

• Energy cost savings of 41 percent above standards required in building codes.
• Collection and storage areas of recyclable materials.
• 81 percent of the total wood-based materials were harvested from Forest Stewardship Council certified forests.
• All indoor adhesive, sealant, paint and coating products meet Volatile Organic Compound standards.
• Lighting controls enable 95 percent of the occupants to make adjustments to suit individual task needs.

“The College of Dentistry faculty and staff have long had a commitment to sustainability and conservation," says David Johnsen, dean of the College of Dentistry. "It only seemed natural that we, along with our design partners, Invision Architects would have LEED certification as one of the driving principles in our design decisions. Meeting LEED requirements will help us save energy and promotes continued recycling. We are quite pleased that we attained the LEED Gold Certification."

Larson Construction Co. completed the 33,754-square-foot addition in September 2011. Located on the west end of the south wing of the Dental Science Building, the $15.3 million addition provides a new, accessible on-grade clinic entrance and features the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation Geriatric and Special Needs Clinic, the Faculty General Practice Clinic, and a multidisciplinary/clinical research area. The addition, designed by Invision Architects, also houses the college's Department of Endodontics, and expands classroom and student space.

The addition is the first phase of a project to update and expand the college's facilities. The second phase—renovating 90,000 square feet of the existing clinical space—is scheduled for completion in summer 2015.

According to UI Facilities Management officials five UI buildings have achieved LEED Gold building certification to date, the most recent being the Information Technology Facility, which earned LEED Platinum status.

LEED certification is one of the ways the UI is seeking to achieve its 2020 Vision goal of net-negative energy growth on campus. The UI has set a minimum standard of LEED Silver certification for all new construction and major renovations.