Building Green
Building Green
The Frank H. Ricketson Jr. Law Building
The Greenest Law Building in the Nation
In late 2004, the U.S. Green Building Council awarded the Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification to the University of Denver’s Frank H. Ricketson Jr. Law Building, the nation’s first law school building to be certified “green.” (read more about the building features and LEED certification here)
The University of Denver Frank H. Ricketson Jr. Law Building consists of 181,000 square feet spanning four stories. The $63 million structure was built with DU’s signature blend of red brick limestone trim and copper, and was outfitted with the latest in class-and-courtroom technology, including building-wide wireless access, “hot seats” in every classroom, a fully equipped training/mock trial courtroom and in-class digital document cameras, which provide the ability to display crisp images of materials that are not in digital format. To view a virtual tour of the law building, click here.
The building occupies a pre-developed site. During construction, stringent controls were implemented to prevent water runoff from polluting groundwater that flows into the South Platte River. To conserve water, the University uses underground water to irrigate the building’s landscape, to reduce reliance on city systems. Waterless urinals and sensor-activated faucets and toilets also conserve water.
According to University Architect Mark Rodgers, “Low-e” window glass installed throughout the building and the use of heavy masonry reduces heating and cooling costs. Other features, such as occupancy sensors that tell indoor lighting systems when to turn on and off, and library light fixtures that dim when ample natural light comes through the windows, save up to 40 percent on energy costs. Additionally, all of the building’s outdoor fixtures are designed to minimize light pollution in the night sky.
To preserve indoor air quality, the architects specified low-gas-emitting paint and carpeting, and allowed the chemicals to “off-gas,” or lose intensity, before occupants moved in.