Building Sets New Standards for Sustainability at Rural College Campuses
Lecanto, FL—Cities aren’t the only repositories for sustainable buildings. A growing number of businesses in rural areas are getting on the sustainable bandwagon. College campuses with branches serving rural areas lead the charge, as the education world is already well-versed in the importance of lessening its corporate footprint on the environment. With an active campus Sustainability Task Force, it’s no wonder that Central Florida Community College has made sustainable buildings a priority. The college’s Citrus Campus in tiny Lecanto(population 6,097) is home to the College’s newest green facility, the Citrus Learning and Conference Center. The building was designed by HuntonBrady Architects of Orlando and was dedicated in October 2009.
Located at 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, the 36,000 square foot building increases the campus’ instructional space by 80 percent and includes such green features as:
- Low-flow restroom fixtures, which reduce water usage by 35 percent
- Room occupancy sensors for lighting
- Native vegetation and water efficient landscaping
- Materials with recycled content
- Regional materials
The facility serves as a gateway to the existing small, rural campus. In addition to serving the campus needs, it is a gathering space for the community as a large conference center. Over 6,000 square feet of exhibit and conference space accommodates 250 people. The building features seven fully equipped multipurpose classrooms, a large multidiscipline science lab and a state-of-the-art computer lab for college credit and corporate education courses, and a comprehensive student center with enrollment services, counseling and advising, financial aid, testing and computer stations.
Susan Pendergraft, AIA, project architect with HuntonBrady Architects, explains, “The Center unifies the existing campus by incorporating architectural elements from the existing two- story vernacular style buildings with metal roofs and brick exteriors. Inside, a grand two-story lobby flanks a pre-function area for special events. We designed the building with sustainability in mind and US Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification as a target.”
CFCC has demonstrated its commitment to sustainability through the formation of a Sustainability Task Force, which formed in 2005 to explore ways of reducing CFCC’s environmental footprint. They college was awarded Silver LEED certification for renovation of Founders Hall at the Ocala Campus. The LEED designation of the USGBC is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.