Sustainable Design + LEED

Friends Center Renovation Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“Buildings in the United States use 17 percent of the total freshwater flows and 25 percent of harvested wood; they are responsible for 50 percent of chlorofluorocarbon production, use 40 percent of the total energy flows, generate 33 percent of CO2 emissions, and generate 40 percent of landfill material as a result of construction waste.”†

We believe that sustainable design recognizes the fundamental need to protect and preserve our natural environment and endangered resources for ourselves and future generations.

Sustainable design

• considers siting buildings to take advantage of solar orientation, daylighting, and natural ventilation, which reduce energy usage and dependency on nonrenewable resources, as well as pollution from heating and cooling.
• protects valuable water resources through the management of stormwater runoff by reducing impervious surfaces, increasing on-site infiltration, reducing flooding, and improving water quality.
• generates economic benefits, which include savings in energy, water, and materials, reduced maintenance and operational costs, and increased productivity.

To push the building industry towards healthier sustainable practices, the U.S. Green Building Council developed a green building rating system, called LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which it introduced to the public in 2000. LEED has become an effective way to measure the environmental soundness of buildings as well as an effective educational tool. UJMN has a LEED-accredited professional on staff and has assisted several clients in obtaining LEED certification.

UJMN incorporated the principles of “green” design into its practice long before the term was recognized.  In the 1970’s, founding partner Mark Ueland directed two research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. He is now directing the Friends Center Renovation in Center City Philadelphia, which will reflect the Friends commitment to environmental stewardship. Several of our other recent projects have incorporated similar principles of sustainable design and LEED certification. These include a new Flexible Laboratory Building at the University of Maryland–Baltimore, the new Innovation Center at the South Jersey Technology Park at Rowan University, and the Science Center Expansion in Philadelphia, PA. (Learn more about these projects under “Portfolio” and “News.”)