RVC's Jacobs Center awarded LEED Gold Certification - WREX.com – Rockford’s News Leader

RVC's Jacobs Center awarded LEED Gold Certification

Rock Valley College's Karl J. Jacobs Center for Science and Math has been honored for its sustainable site development and energy efficiency.

The building has been awarded LEED Gold Certification in a ratings system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The USGBC is a program for homes, buildings, and communities that are designed and maintained for environmental and human health performance.

RVC received the certification thanks to work in sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. Some of the features of the JCSM building are:

• 420 ton closed-loop geothermal system
• chilled beam cooling system
• high efficiency domestic water heating system
• low flow plumbing fixtures
• reflective white roofing and vegetated green roofs

The renovated Physical Education Center at RVC also received LEED Gold Certification in 2010, making RVC the first community college in the state to have two certified projects. Less than 20 community colleges in the country have two or more certified buildings.

The building was designed by Rockford's Saavedra Gehlhausen Architects in association with Demonica Kemper Architects of Chicago. A team of consultants and RVC faculty and staff also assisted with the project. Sjostrom and Sons constructed the building.