The Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building project at the UI has earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification.

Completed in July 2014, the $126 million, 256,000-square-foot building on the health sciences campus houses “high-impact, high-reward” research in diabetes, deafness, and brain science as well as complex diseases affecting the heart and lungs. The building is home to the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center, the Francois M. Abboud Cardiovascular Research Center, Iowa Institute for Biomedical Imaging, University of Iowa Neurosciences Institute, University of Iowa Auditory Research Program, and the University of Iowa Lung Biology Center.

The building is named for alumnus John Pappajohn and his wife, Mary, who committed $26.4 million in 2009 to help establish the Pappajohn Biomedical Institute and to contribute to the building's construction.

UI Facilities Management partnered with general contractor Walsh Construction Company, LLC, design firm Gwathmey-Siegel Architects, and local architect Rohrbach Associates PC to incorporate numerous sustainable principles. Over 75 percent of construction and demolition debris was diverted from landfills via recycling, and regionally sourced materials were used to support the use of indigenous resources, reducing the environmental impact resulting from transportation.

LEED certification is one way the UI seeks 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 new construction and major renovations, and currently exceeds that standard with two LEED Platinum buildings, seven LEED gold, and one LEED Silver facility on campus.