Published: November 21, 2008
Buck Institute 'Goes Green' with Information Technology Infrastructure
The Buck Institute project involved the build-out of 11,000 square feet of new laboratory space (The Larry L. Hillblom Center for Integrative Studies of Aging) in an existing building. Planners were able to reduce the use of toxic/hazardous materials (copper data cable) by 55 percent. They were also able to substitute less hazardous, re-usable materials in the build-out, namely limited-combustion jacketed copper data cable.
"The Buck Institute's LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. "The urgency of USGBC's mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and the Buck Institute serves as a prime example with just how much we can accomplish."
"We were pleased that the USGBC recognized us for our efforts," said Ralph O'Rear, Vice President for Facilities at the Buck Institute, who noted that the Institute saved at least $4,500 by reducing the use of expensive copper data cable. "We have a long-standing commitment to utilize environmental best practices wherever we can - we will continue to include green IT infrastructure in all of our future projects".
The Innovation Credit also encompassed a more general approach to "green IT". The Buck has established a program of "smart upgrading" - as computing needs expand with the expansion of the Institute, the Information Systems department explores new ways to save energy while meeting the need to increase our computing capacity. The Institute also decreases e-waste, by recycling or selling older equipment. The Institute also has a recycling program for employees' work-related and personal e-waste.
The Buck Institute is the only freestanding institute in the United States that is devoted solely to basic research on aging and age-associated disease. The Institute is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to extending the healthspan, the healthy years of each individual's life. The National Institute on Aging designated the Buck a "Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Biology of Aging," one of just five centers in the country. Buck Institute scientists work in an innovative, interdisciplinary setting to understand the mechanisms of aging and to discover new ways of detecting, preventing and treating conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke. Collaborative research at the Institute is supported by new developments in genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics technology. For more information: http://www.buckinstitute.org.
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. Since UGSBC's founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 13,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED® green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry's popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 72 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups. For more information, visit http://www.usgbc.org.
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating Systemâ„¢ is a feature-oriented rating system that awards buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria. The six major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design. LEED can be applied to all building types including new construction, commercial interiors, core & shell developments, existing buildings, homes, neighborhood developments, schools and retail facilities.
Source: Buck Institute for Age Research
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