The Sunlight Peak science building at Front Range Community College has received LEED Gold Certification. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized mark of excellence that measures green-building design, construction, operations, and maintenance.
Sunlight Peak opened in 2010 on the Larimer Campus in Fort Collins. At almost 32,000 square feet, Sunlight Peak houses classrooms and labs for biology, microbiology, chemistry, astronomy/geology, physics, veterinary technology, and anatomy and physiology. The building also has a cadaver lab, faculty offices, and instructor work space.
During construction, conservation methods were incorporated in the lighting, plumbing, and heating and cooling. There was an emphasis on using sustainable construction materials, and construction waste was recycled. Trees at the construction site were transplanted to other areas of the campus. Landscaping features native plants rated for low-water use. By longstanding practice, science faculty design “micro-scale” labs to reduce chemical use. The certification also takes into account the cleaning products used in maintaining the building.
The FWA Group of Fort Collins was the architects for the building. Adolfson & Peterson Construction of Aurora was the general contractor.
According to the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED provides independent, third-party verification that a building was designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
About Front Range Community College
FRCC offers nearly 100 degree and certificate programs from locations in Boulder County, Larimer County, Westminster, and Brighton, and online.
FRCC is a member of the Colorado Community College System, the state’s largest system of higher education. CCCS serves more than 162,000 students annually. The system oversees career and academic programs in the 13 state community colleges and career and technical programs in more than 160 school districts and six other post-secondary institutions.
