SUNY Oneonta’s LEED Platinum Reflects Years-Long Commitment to Sustainability
By Lindsey Coulter
ONEONTA, N.Y. — The State University of New York Oneonta (SUNY Oneonta) campus is a model of sustainability in action. The university has amassed numerous green accolades over the years, and over the past decade has doubled down on reducing its environmental impact.
Since 2015, the institution has hired an energy manager, installed EV charging stations, added an Environmental Sustainability major program, installed building water meters, published a greenhouse gas report,developed a Campus Climate Action plan and much more. Along the way, SUNY Oneonta has completed several LEED-certified construction and renovation projects. The Physical Sciences Building marked the campus’ first LEED Gold certification in 2017, and the most recent LEED accolade marks another important milestone.
A Platinum Achievement
SUNY Oneonta’s Alumni Hall earned LEED Platinum certification earlier this month, which is the highest level of recognition award by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Alumni Hall, which earned LEED v4 ID+C 82 points, marks the campus’ first LEED Platinum building, bringing the SUNY system to a total of nineLEED Platinum facilities, and is an important step toward meeting SUNY Oneonta’s Clean Energy Master Plan goals.
“Green buildings save money, improve efficiency, lower carbon emissions and create healthier places for people to study and work,” said Lachlan Squair, the associate vice president of facilities and planning, in a statement. “The renovation of Alumni Hall is an important milestone in our SUNY Oneonta Clean Energy Master Plan, which seeks to make the campus carbon neutral by 2045, eliminating the use of fossil fuels for building operations.”
Steps Toward Sustainability
The journey to LEED leadership was extensive. Alumni Hall was an existing facility that was built in 1958 to serve as the campus library. To reimagine the decades-old facility as a modern, sustainable teaching and learning space, the structure required a $22 million overhaul, which was led by Thaler Reilly Wilson Architecture & Preservation of Albany, N.Y. The project, which began in 2021, ultimately transformed the61,920 square feet of building spaceinto a vibrant, modern facility. The building is now home to classrooms, offices and meeting spaces dedicated to the Business, Economics and Political Science departments as well as the Division of University Advancement.It includes active-learning classrooms, entrepreneurial spaces (including a simulation room where students can learnstock trading), study and lounge spaces, and a top-level conference room with direct views to the campus and neighboring greenspace.
Bringing functionality into the 21st century also required a plethora of sustainability and energy-efficiency upgrades. Ample glazing improved daylighting throughout, and the building is heated and cooled by ground-source heat pumps and an array of 39 geothermal bores. This project also earned the 2024 AIA NYS Excelsior Award for excellence in adaptive reuse.
Current Milestones and Future Goals
The new and improved Alumni Hall officially reopened to the campus community in September 2023, marking the final project in the University’s 2013-23 Campus Facilities Master Plan.
“This is an important milestone in SUNY Oneonta’s Clean Energy Master Plan, which seeks to make the campus carbon neutral by 2045, eliminating the use of fossil fuels for building operations,” Squair said at the grand opening, according to a university statement. “Renewable energy purchasing offsets the electrical power required to operate the building. This building is extremely energy efficient, reducing campus carbon emissions by 130 tons annually through new technology and building materials.”
Even with a pinnacle LEED certification under its belt, SUNY Oneonta continues to strive for greater resource conservation and energy savings. Other improvement projects include renovations to Fitzelle Hall, the campus’ Welcome Center and the Red Dragon Outfitters building. The University was also recognized as a REV Campus Challenge Leader for 2020 from NYSERDA, applauding its clean energy investments as well as its work to integrate sustainability into curricula, research and development.
These green values are shared across the SUNY system and the state of New York. For example, the State University Construction Fund Directive 1B-2 includes a systemwide commitment to clean energy, energy-saving retrofits on existing buildings and construction of new buildings to achieve net-zero carbon standards. Meanwhile, state-level mandates have also pushed SUNY campuses to prioritize sustainability. Executive Order 166 requires the campuses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050, while the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act requires carbon-free electricity systems by 2040. SUNY Oneonta’s proactive steps toward sustainability position the university well to meet these ambitious goals.