Overview
The built environment represents one of the greatest opportunities to curb emissions, provide ecosystem services, and ensure accessible, high quality education for all. Buildings are not simply places to learn, connect, and grow. They are teaching tools with lessons behind each process, dollar, and piece of material that goes into their design, construction, and operation.
Our Goals
1) Modify and construct facilities using and/or exceeding the highest sustainability standards in the industry
Integrating Equity into the Built Environment
Equity in the built environment involves both the building caretakers (construction workers, facilities staff, and custodial staff) and the building occupants (students, faculty, and staff).
It is critical that building caretakers are fairly treated, equitably paid, and provided with appropriate workplace protections, and that building occupants’ side are provided with safe and accessible for spaces that allow for flexible, dynamic, and uninterrupted learning.
SMCCCD’s commitment to meeting and exceeding the highest sustainability building standards lends itself towards upskilling our facilities & maintenance staff while ensuring a healthy learning and working environment for our staff and students.
By the Numbers
Background Information
What is LEED?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) evaluates a building’s environmental performance and encourages using sustainable designs and products to construct the building. In the United States, buildings account for almost 40% of the national CO2 emissions, but LEED-certified buildings have 34% lower CO2 emissions, consume 25% less energy and 11% less water, and have diverted more than 80 million tons of waste from landfills.
To receive LEED certification, buildings are graded in five environmental categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality. Depending on how many points are awarded, buildings can receive either a LEED Silver, Gold, or Platinum certification, in that order.
Featured Projects
Cañada Building 23
Official Name: Science & Technology Building
Area: 50,000 square feet
Inside: Provides modern instructional facilities for critical health, science and technology fields.
Coolest Feature: Cozy study nooks and great outdoor learning and gathering spaces.
Certifications: LEED Platinum (pending), Zero Net Energy (pending)
Skyline Building 12
Official Name: Environmental Science Building
Area: 21,000 square feet
Inside: Two 56-seat classroom/laboratories, two 119-seat tiered lecture halls, academic offices, a catering kitchen, lobby and gallery/event space, and support spaces.
Coolest Feature: Its a toss up between the hydronic heating and cooling system and the floor to ceiling glass that provides extensive views of the Pacific Ocean.
Certifications: LEED Gold
Cañada Building 1
Official Name: Kinesiology and Wellness
Area: 85,000 square feet
Inside: A two story structure houses both academic and enterprise facilities, including classrooms for wellness activities, an extensive area for fitness equipment, and a full-size basketball gymnasium. An instructional aquatics pool and a competition pool are to the east of the structure.
Coolest Feature: Did someone say rooftop deck and pickle ball courts?
Certifications: LEED Platinum