• Posted: April 2, 2019
• Construction Technology, Renewable Energy

One would think that a building housing state-of-the-art lasers and technical labs would be the main highlight of the new Science and Engineering Building on the College of Lake County’s Grayslake campus, but it’s actually something on the roof and well below the surface that makes this building unlike its peers.

The new Science and Engineering Building, designed by Legat Architects for the College of Lake County and the Capital Development Board, earned LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Platinum certification is the highest level a building can achieve and the Science and Engineering Building now stands as one of a few community college buildings in Illinois that have received this recognition.

What drove the building to its highest certification were the 47 geothermal wells extending 500 feet into the earth and the 187 rooftop photovoltaic panels. The building is outfitted to reduce building energy use by up to 66% compared to standard science buildings of its size.

Legat went all out on this project and got 90 points, making the facility the highest-scoring LEED BD+C (New Construction and Major Renovation) certified facility in Illinois and one of the top 4 highest-scoring LEED projects in the Midwest.

Among its sustainable features are photovoltaic panels, green roofs, a geothermal heating and cooling system, rainwater and daylight harvesting systems, LED lighting, and energy-efficient fume hoods.

“The ventilation system was reworked so the chemistry labs aren’t sucking air out of the building in the middle of the night when no one is there,” said Legat’s Scot Parker, project manager. “This makes it more energy efficient and you get more efficiency points. We went in thinking we’d get 14 or 15 points, but we got all 19 under this credit.”

The 42,000-square-foot building has five chemistry labs and several chemical storage and prep rooms. Additional offices make up the rest of the space, as well as a mechatronics lab and a laser/photonics/optics lab.

The new building also provides a beautiful new entrance at the south end of campus, where 60% of the college’s parking is located. Thus, the Science and Engineering Building welcomes the bulk of the students and guests who visit the campus.

You can read more about Legat’s work on the building here.