"The LEED Gold Greer Environmental Sciences Center was designed to be a living laboratory for Virginia Wesleyan University students. Native plantings and constructed wetlands serve as both bio retention basins and hands-on learning for students who study local flora and fauna. These wetlands and other stormwater management features, like a green roof, support the University’s goals of being a good steward of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Students also have access to systems that monitor the building’s geothermal heating and cooling, solar PV array, and demonstration wind turbine. The sustainable strategies contribute to an estimated 71% energy use reduction compared to buildings of a similar use. The project was designed by VMDO Architects with PageSoutherlandPage. Dunlap & Partners Engineers provided MEP design and Dunbar Milby Williams Pittman & Vaughan provided structural engineering. Landscape architecture by Siteworks Studio. Hourigan was the general contractor and Thompson Consulting Engineers served as commissioning agent."
