When it comes to the new VCU student apartments and dorms being built on Canal Street, how much is energy efficiency being considered?
How does this compare with other universities?
Student life at Syracuse University can be comfortable as well as energy efficient. University Village Apartments includes five buildings and 120 apartments for students. The project, developed by Education Realty Trust on land leased from the university, achieved Gold certification under the LEED for Homes rating system. Each apartment in the project earned the Energy Star and each building received incentives under the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA) Multifamily Performance program as its third Low Rise Pilot participant (see “Multifamily Performance Program”).
VCU plays lip-service to being green. Their own study on cycling laid out many great recommendations, however the university appears more interested in building parking decks than infrastructure and measures for cyclists:
http://blogs.vcu.edu/vcugoesgreen/VCU%20STATE%20OF%20CYCLING%209-6-10.pdf
Recommendation 11
“VCU should lobby local government to install bicycle lanes throughout downtown Richmond, including on and around VCU’s campuses.
“…On-street bicycle facilities have a positive relationship to bicycle ridership rates. In New York City, bicycle ridership rates have increased 219 percent from 2005-2009. During the same period, the local DOT striped over 200 miles of new bicycle lanes. (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/bikestats.shtml)
“Both VCU cyclists and non-cyclists have strongly indicated they want more bicycle lanes on Richmond’s streets. Eighty-four percent of cyclists (280) and sixty-five percent (94) of non-cyclists agree or strongly agree that more bicycle lanes would encourage them to ride. Of all of the possible amenities and facilities on the survey, this option drew the most enthusiastic response.
“As the largest employer in Richmond and the largest university in the Commonwealth of Virginia, VCU could use its influential position to promote local, sustainable transportation policy.
“In 2004, the Virginia Department of Transportation released a bicycle and pedestrian plan for the Richmond Region. Certain routes in downtown Richmond were identified as candidates for bicycle facilities, but it was left up to the local municipality to realize the plans. VCU should actively promote the implementation of this bicycle plan.”
Miami University Becomes 16th School to Move Beyond Coal
http://sierraclub.typepad.com/ssc/2011/04/miami-university-becomes-16th-school-to-move-beyond-coal.html
The building you’re referring to isn’t being developed by VCU, although it is designed for VCU students. It’s inaccurate to correlate this private off-campus housing with VCU’s sustainability program. In this case it would be more accurate to criticize the City of Richmond’s lack of sustainability incentives for new developments rather than VCU policy.
The university’s official policy is to construct all buildings after 2007 to LEED Silver or better, and to retrofit selected existing buildings to meet LEED standards. In two years almost one fifth of all university square footage will meet LEED standards. Currently, VCU School of Dentistry has earned Silver LEED certification, Cary Street Gym earned LEED Gold, and the Rice Center earned LEED Platinum status.
Here is the page describing the university’s Campus Initiatives for sustainability.
Owned.
This just in, more bitter Oregon Hill residents assume the worst of VCU without understanding the facts! Being the only progressive institution in Richmond still isn’t good enough. We want infrastructure handouts–not just massive-scale education. Who cares about all the sweeping socio-economic boost that VCU brings to the city? What about bikes and stuff?!
1. Regardless of who OWNS the building, its pretty obvious that VCU students will be living there. Saying its the City’s lacking or not within the scope of official policy seems like a cop-out.
2. Bikes are great!
https://www.oregonhill.net/2011/04/09/richmond-hosts-police-biking-conference/
However, in the bigger picture, green building matters more-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_building
3. Despite the attacks on this post, no one has really answered its essential question- how green will the new apartment building be? Universities are supposed to be about critical thinking- let’s see some.
4. I don’t see it as bitter as much as it is trying to inspire better standards.
C’mon Rams, your basketball team did a beautiful job of setting higher standards and performing and competing at a higher level than ever before- don’t students want the same for the buildings that they live in?
VCU needs to step it up and use green energy like “clean coal”!!
http://www.archpaper.com/e-board_rev.asp?News_ID=5294
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How green are CFL lightbulbs??
http://www.cleanpowercanada.bravehost.com/report1.html