Campus Green Builder

Initial planning for the Sabine Hall building started in late 2004 and early 2005. During 2005, mostly the institution focused on building the project team while selecting experienced consultants. The actual project work began in early 2006.

During the design and construction of the building, various steps were taken to involve the campus community and determine the exact set of needs that the new building will have to satisfy. Since the building was planned to house programs related to science and humanities, the science and humanities staff was brought onboard. The project team undertook a thorough needs assessment procedure to ensure that the occupants’ needs were successfully met at the end of the project.

Specialists for the laboratory construction met with the staff to understand and outline the requirements of the lab systems and apparati. Also, field trips were organized for the entire faculty for an overview of various stages of the construction. This helped the campus community understand the impact generated by the green building features on the overall design, function, cost, as well as the community and the environment.

In addition, the project team and the administration explored ways in which the building could become a teaching tool and support courses that could educate the students about the benefits offered by green design, construction and management of facilities. In essence, this novel campus green building is attributed a critical position in the curricular and co-curricular activities to enable the future generation of citizenry and professionals to understand the complex issues of climate change as well as potential sustainable solutions to combat this challenge.

Also, a commissioning process was implemented to ascertain installation of energy efficient systems and system protocols. The commissioning agent was selected to perform activities such as infrared testing, mechanical testing, as well as crosschecking of design specifications of HVAC and MEP systems among other measures. The commissioning agent also conducted training sessions for the facilities staff. These training sessions were recorded to make them accessible for the training of the future staff members. This training currently focuses on the maintenance and optimum modus operandi for the HVAC as well as the electrical systems. The institutions also entered into a contract with GCA to employ green cleaning practice for the new Sabine Hall.