Sangren Hall gets more applause for eco-friendly design

Kathy Jennings | Thursday, April 17, 2014

Sangren Hall on the Western Michigan University campus is in the news again, this time for its ranking as one of the 50 most impressive environmentally friendly university buildings.

The building came in at 33 on the list created by Best Master's Degrees, a website devoted to helping students choose a master's program.

The list included university buildings from around the world. They range from a university science lab in Pittsburgh made of 94 percent recycled materials to a park-like, six-story, underground university building in Seoul, South Korea.

The list's creators say they looked for structures that "reflect leadership in sustainability and also have significant visual impact." Many of the projects featured have earned a formal green rating from one agency or another, plus other coveted design awards.

The selected buildings that were "hand-picked for their eco-friendly features including engineering, architecture, design and qualities of sustainability. Environmentally sound university buildings typically consume far less energy and afford better sanitary conditions than older buildings," says Best Master's Degiree editor Marianna Chara.

Putting up such a building on campus "shows outstanding long-term thinking and has the potential to enrich the lives of students and the surrounding community in profound ways," says the website. They also hope the list inspires other universities to consider such projects.

Sangren Hall is 230,000-square-foot building with four floors of classrooms, labs, lecture halls, and administrative facilities. It has an education library, a reading clinic, and a counseling clinic.

The $69-million project, which began with the demolition of the south wing of the old Sangren Hall in the summer of 2010, was completed in August 2012. Classes began fall semester, 2012 in the new Sangren Hall.

The building was designed by SHW Group, LLC from Berkley, Mich., and was constructed by contractor Miller-Davis Company.

"These universities are showing themselves to be leaders when it comes to beauty and sustainability on campus," says Chara. "The value to students can be tremendous."

Source: Marianna Chara, Best Master's Degrees