On Friday, January 20th, UCSC Physical Planning & Construction, the Student Environmental Center and the UCSC Sustainability Office hosted the Cowell Student Health Center’s LEED Gold Certification Celebration at the Cowell Student Health Center on the UC Santa Cruz campus.
This event brought together students, staff, faculty, and administration to celebrate the completed renovation of the university’s student health center and the university’s first LEED Gold building.
In the spring of 2008, UCSC students passed Measure 35, known as the "Greening of the Cowell Student Health Center," to fund the renovation by establishing a $5.20 per student, per quarter.
The money was used to purchase and install green materials, implement green practices, and obtain a U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the Cowell Student Health Center.
The other funding sources were: Measure 18 Renovation and Expansion of the CSHC and the Seismic Fee.
Program and presentations included the following members/organizations:
Hawley, Peterson & Snyder (Architect Design Team), PG&E Savings by Design, U.S. Green Building Council Representative, DPR Construction Inc., George Blumenthal (UCSC Chancellor), John Barnes (Interim Associate Vice Chancellor Physical Planning & Construction), Alma Sifuentes (Associate Vice Chancellor/Dean of Students), Christina Valentino (Vice Chancellor Business & Administrative Services), Mary D. Knudtson (Executive Director, Cowell Health Center) and staff, Josephine Ortega, Senior Architect (PPC), Physical Planning & Construction & Physical Plant staff, Tony Bautista (alumni), Student Environmental Center (SEC) students and Carson Watts (SEC’s Green Building Campaign Coordinator), Joyce Rice, Staff Program Manager (SOAR), Alex Sassoon (student), and Lacey Raak (Climate Action Manager).
