Campus Sustainability Initiative

University Architects participated in the UGA Working Group for Sustainability. The group's final Sustainability Report was presented to UGA senior administration in October 2009.

The Office of University Architects is striving to create the optimal, sustainable learning environment. With a focus on resource conservation and quality of life improvement, sustainability initiatives at OUA include: historic preservation, sustainable site design & greenspace creation, alternative transportation, high-performance buildings, water resource conservation, renewable energy & energy efficiency, and waste minimization.

Historic Preservation

Preservation of historic structures is perhaps the most sustainable action the University can undertake. These cultural resources provide a sense of place, legacy, and enduring connection to UGA. Preservation and reuse of historic structures diverts construction waste from landfills and avoids consumption of further resources that would be required to construct new facilities. The University of Georgia is systematically restoring its most culturally significant buildings, primarily on UGA's historic North Campus, and has won numerous awards for its stewardship of these facilities.

In addition to historic buildings, UGA is blessed with historic campus gardens and landscapes, including North Campus and the Franklin College Quadrangle, President's Garden, Founders Memorial Garden, Young Harris Terraces, Herty Field and the Old Athens Cemetery, as well as the landscape and courtyard at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. The entire main campus is designated as the UGA Campus Arboretum to preserve and protect campus trees and provide educational value to the campus community.

Sustainable Site Design & Greenspace Creation

Through sustainable site design, OUA seeks to restore ecosystem health while accommodating the needs of the campus community. Because much of the educational experience at UGA takes place outdoors through formal and informal cross-disciplinary interactions, the UGA campus provides an ideal environment for sustainable and functional landscapes that provide beauty and culture, as well as education and ecological restoration.

Over the last decade, OUA has created over 46 acres of new green space where paved surfaces previously existed. A more sustainable campus is being created by utilizing native plants and trees, actively improving stormwater quality, using efficient irrigation strategies, and restoring wildlife habitat. D.W. Brooks Mall, the largest greenspace project to date on campus, transformed the former vehicular spine of South Campus into a vegetated pedestrian corridor modeled after UGA's historic North Campus Quadrangle.

In regard to water quality design for the treatment of stormwater runoff, UGA constructed its first “bioswale” to filter runoff from a parking lot at the intramural fields in 1998. Since then, approximately 40 bioretention areas (or rain gardens) have been constructed on campus. The largest water quality management project to date is the award-winning Lumpkin Street Drainage Improvements project, a town-gown partnership with Athens-Clarke County. Another notable water quality project, the Performing and Visual Arts Corridor improvements, treats runoff from a 5.5 acre drainage area before it is released into Lily Branch on UGA's East Campus. UGA uses efficient drip irrigation to serve most landscaped areas and is poised to reuse harvested rain and condensate water in 13 locations on campus. The historic Town Spring restoration completed by the UGA Grounds Department is an excellent example of cultural interpretation and ecosystem improvement.

Alternative Transportation

Pedestrian Circulation

A guiding principle of the physical campus master plan is to create a connected campus. Safe pedestrian connections are created by moving vehicular traffic to the perimeter of campus. The vision for a “green mile” is being implemented to provide a safe and pleasant pedestrian connection from the historic Arch on North Campus to the intramural fields at the southern end of campus. A primary component of this pedestrian network is the creation of D.W. Brooks Mall (to replace D.W. Brooks Drive) on South Campus. Another significant pedestrian greenspace project is the Georgia Quad, completed in June 2009. Located in the heart of campus, the Georgia Quad replaces a former vehicular roadway with a new pedestrian gateway connecting student housing to the academic and student life facilities of Central Campus.

Bicycles

Bicycle ridership is on the rise at UGA. The Office of University Architects, along with members of the Physical Plant Division and Parking Services, developed updated recommendations to enhance the ease and safety of bicycle use on campus. These recommendations include improved connectivity of bike facilities both on and off campus, as well as creative promotion and education toward healthy transportation choices.

To date, there are approximately 19.06 miles of bike ways and 369 bike racks on campus. Recent bike lane projects on Lumpkin Street, Carlton Street, and East Campus Road contribute to the overall bicycle network aimed at creating a safer, easier, connected bicycle system at UGA. Grant-funded connections to the North Oconee River Greenway on UGA's Hardin and Chicopee properties soon will be under construction. Participation in the Athens-Clarke County Greenway Network Plan increases connectivity to, from, and within UGA to enhance alternative transportation options. However, to date no bike-sharing programs or similar initiatives exist on the UGA campus, although they have been implemented successfully at campuses across the country.

Transit

Availability of mass transit on the UGA campus (seven days a week, with 24-hour service on weekdays) reduces the total number of vehicles on campus and county roadways, thus decreasing overall carbon emission, improving air quality and reducing traffic congestion. UGA boasts the highest ridership of any campus transit system in the country and the second largest ridership in the state of Georgia, second only to MARTA in metro Atlanta. In 2007, UGA's Campus Transit system efficiently transported over 9 million riders. In addition, UGA Campus Transit and Parking Services constitute the largest clients and contributors to the Athens-Clarke County (ACC) mass transit system, enabling anyone from the University community (student, faculty, or staff member) to ride the city's buses at no direct charge to the individual. With 37 Campus Transit buses on daily routes and 17 additional ACC bus routes available, mass transit is a convenient transportation option at UGA. In addition to reducing the number of vehicles on local roadways, campus buses have been fueled with 20% biodiesel to reduce fossil fuels consumption.

Sustainable Building Design

Major new construction and renovation projects at UGA are administered by the Office of University Architects (OUA). Sustainable design is infused in recent campus building projects, particularly the Miller Learning Center, Paul D. Coverdell Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Tate Student Center expansion, College of Pharmacy addition and the renovation of Old College. All of these buildings incorporate the following sustainable design strategies: 100-year durability construction methods; redevelopment of an existing site or parking lot; efficient passive solar, daylighting and lighting design; efficient mechanical system design with energy recovery ventilation design; efficient water use and rainwater or condensate harvesting; and use of local construction materials, low volatile organic compound (VOC) interior finishes, interior recycling stations, and green cleaning methods.

Particularly innovative strategies include exceptional daylighting, heat wheel energy recovery, and a 3,360-square foot extensive green roof at the Lamar Dodd School of Art, as well as a 26,378-square foot intensive green roof and student-led energy modeling at the Tate Center expansion. To conserve water, a 75,000-gallon cistern for rain and condensate water harvesting was recently installed at the Tate Student Center expansion, the largest of 13 cisterns currently installed or under construction at UGA to flush toilets, provide make-up water for cooling towers and fountains, and irrigate the campus landscape from non-potable sources.

While many universities mandate Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for new campus buildings, historically UGA has not taken this approach. Instead, UGA has chosen to follow LEED guidelines without incurring the expense of certification; this has allowed project funds to be reserved for actual implementation of design strategies. However, interest in LEED certification is intensifying within the University community. Five projects recently completed or currently under design and construction are LEED-registered and tracking certification at the silver or gold level: Tate Student Center expansion, College of Pharmacy addition, a new residence hall on East Campus, the Georgia Museum of Art addition, and the Special Collections Libraries building. Once certified, these buildings will establish a half-million square feet of documented LEED space in the University's facilities inventory.

Water Resource Conservation

New construction and major renovation projects administered by the Office of University Architects target 40% water use reduction through implementation of rainwater and condensate water harvesting and reuse, ultra low-flow plumbing fixtures, efficient laboratory equipment and water-wise landscapes. Notably in 2008, a 75,000 gallon cistern was installed at the Tate Student Center Expansion, the largest water-harvesting system to date on the UGA campus.

The Office of University Architects has for years established water quality improvement as a priority in campus development projects. The overall impervious area on campus has been reduced through the removal of more than 1.5 million square feet of asphalt, while adding academic building space and more than 46 acres of campus greenspace in the last 15 years. All new construction projects incorporate strategies to improve water quality such as green roofs, bioretention areas, or rain gardens, and other innovative stormwater best management practices. These systems also are designed to be eco-revelatory with environmental education value. Two recent award-winning water quality projects on campus include the Lumpkin Street Drainage Improvements, a town-gown partnership to treat 1.2 miles of roadway runoff on campus properties; and the Performing and Visual Arts Complex Corridor, which was awarded the 2008 Athens-Clarke County Stormwater Steward Award. The innovative and educational design of this project features a green roof, rain gardens, swales, runnels, and harvested rainwater for irrigation.

Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency

The Office of University Architects target 20% energy use reduction over current energy codes in new buildings and major renovations. In addition to energy use reduction, OUA installed solar-powered LED parking lot lighting at the new Club Sports Complex recreational fields. Solar hot water heating projects are currently under design at the New Dormitory at East Campus Village and the new Swine Unit office and bio-security building at Double Bridges Farm. Photovoltaic arrays for solar electricity production are also designed for the New Dormitory as well as the Pharmacy South building addition.

Waste Minimization

OUA managed new construction and major renovation projects are designed and constructed to minimize waste. For example, the new Lamar Dodd School of Art spare interior is designed for the purpose of showcasing the art of its occupants and to minimize material waste: 30,000 s.f of ceiling materials were eliminated by using floating ceiling “clouds” only where required for light reflectance and acoustic absorption; carpet is only used in auditoriums where acoustical treatment is required; Concrete floors are left exposed to eliminate additional flooring materials; Cabinetry is constructed of simple, durable stained fiberboard without additional laminate surfaces.

UGA has also increased expectations regarding sustainable construction site management in recent years. The UGA Grounds Department developed a tree protection plan for construction sites. Erosion and sediment controls mandated by the county are strengthened through phase II of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). The Office of University Architects mandates construction waste and debris recycling to divert waste from the ACC landfill and satisfy LEED requirements. Construction recycling at the Tate Student Center Expansion and Pharmacy South projects resulted in recycling or reuse of approximately 75% and 86% of construction debris, respectively. Asphalt, concrete and stone from these operations were crushed and reused in sitework applications on campus. Gypsum wallboard, wood wastes and landscape debris were ground and composted at the UGA Bioconversion Center and reused as soil amendments on campus.

This page was last updated on October 21, 2009.