Richard Meier's Cornell Research Center Lands LEED Gold

A living roof designed to abosorb rainwater and provide insulation covers over 50 percent of the $162 million Weill Hall.

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 10/22/2008

When Richard Meier won the commission to design Weill Hall, the new interdisciplinary research facility at his alma mater Cornell University in Ithaca, New York his colleagues in the architecture world were surely green with envy.

Meier, however, had a different kind of green on his mind and now the master architect's eco-awareness has led to a LEED Gold designation, the second highest environmental certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Richard Meier & Partners' green design for the $162 million facility includes a living roof covering over 50 percent of the building. The roof both absorbs rain water and provides insulation; light, temperature, and air flow are regulated via motion detectors. The center also boasts high-tech mechanical systems projected to save energy at a rate of more than 40 percent above American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards, as well as systems to minimize light pollution, water use, and material emissions. As a whole, the building is projected to consume 30 percent less daily energy than comparable buildings.

"Environmental sustainability and energy efficiency have been fundamental to both the design approach and construction process of Weill Hall," says Renny Logan, associate partner in charge of the project. "LEED Gold Certification recognizes Richard Meier & Partners' and Cornell's substantial commitment to the creation of environmentally responsible buildings that make the most efficient use of the earth's natural resources."



Images courtesy of Cornell University.