TEACHING LEED: Green Buildings as Teaching Tools
John Pumilio
Abstract:
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification has become increasingly popular
among higher education institutions as it showcases a commitment to sustainability while helping to
reduce our ecological footprint. But too often an important aspect of LEED buildings is overlooked; they
can be better utilized as teaching tools to better inform occupants about sustainable features. Colgate
University’s (Hamilton, NY) newest building, the Trudy Fitness Center, is on track to receive LEED silver
certification in 2012. Unfortunately, the building’s potential as a teaching tool for sustainable design,
technology, and operation has largely been ignored during its construction and first year of occupancy.
To address this problem, we first used an electronic survey of Colgate students, faculty and staff to
determine general levels of knowledge about LEED buildings, sources from which individuals have
gained this knowledge, how they prefer to be informed of the sustainable aspects of the Trudy Fitness
Center, and which features of the building they most valued. Next, we conducted interviews with key
stakeholders in the Colgate community, sustainability directors at other higher education institutions
and persons involved in the LEED certification process to determine how they think the new fitness
center could best be utilized as a teaching tool. Based on these two approaches, we were able to assess
our community’s general level of knowledge of LEED and what strategies we might utilize to most
effectively use the Trudy Fitness Center as a teaching tool. Preliminary results indicate that the general
Colgate community is unaware of the LEED certification process or even that the Trudy Fitness Center is
on track to be certified. The most common source of information concerning sustainability was through
the local campus newspaper. Developing on-site educational tools—such as interactive kiosks or
signage—would be an effective method of using the new fitness center as a showcase for sustainability.
By informing occupants of the sustainable aspects of green buildings (in general) and the Trudy Fitness
Center (in particular), there is the potential to significantly increase the awareness and knowledge of
sustainability in our daily lives while adding overall value to green buildings.
Bio:
Born in Central New York, John received his bachelor's degree in environmental and forest biology from
ESF at Syracuse University. After graduation, he studied biodiversity comparing sun and shade coffee
plantations in the West Indies. From 1996 to 1998, John worked on the Florida Panther Recovery Project
in the Everglades. During the summer months from 1993 - 1997, he was an ornithology instructor for
the National Audubon Society on Hog Island, Maine. For more than 10 years, John was a director for
Tauck World Discovery. During this time, he brought environmental education and the outdoor
experience to thousands of diverse clients throughout the Canadian Rockies, New England, and Quebec.
John also spent several years working in Peru, Alaska, and the Galapagos Islands. And in 2004 and 2007,
he guided wildlife safaris in Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in East
Africa. John earned his graduate degree from The Evergreen State College where he became their first
Director of Sustainability. In April 2009, John returned home to Central New York where he currently
serves as Colgate University's first Sustainability Coordinator. Since coming to Colgate, the university
has been able to reduce its carbon footprint by 17 percent and shave over $300,000 off its annual
operating budget through energy conservation and efficiency programs. Recently, John led the
university’s climate action planning effort that committed Colgate to climate neutrality by 2019. These
efforts have resulted in Colgate receiving the 2011 Climate Leadership Award from Second Nature.