The Delta College Downtown Midland Center has achieved the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) gold level certification – a green building rating system that provides a framework for healthy, efficient and cost-saving buildings. 

The achievement is quite a feat as the stringent guidelines LEED version 4 and 4.1 credits for Building Design and Construction (BD+C) New Construction guide required achieving more than 60 points out of 100 for gold level certification.

The 30,000 square-foot-facility, located at 419 East Ellsworth St., was constructed in 2019 by Spence Brothers Construction based on the vision of the TowerPinkster design team.

The team integrated sustainability into the design and site, and energy modeling was used throughout all design phases which reduced the amount of waste sent to a landfill by 65 percent.

“It’s important to us that we stay at the forefront of sustainable practices, functioning as responsible stewards of the Earth,” said Anthony Khalil, Delta College planning and construction manager. 

The project achieved the indoor environment by using low emitting materials, natural lighting and highly controlled lab spaces while using 40 percent less water than typical buildings. 

“Indoor air quality and occupant comfort aren’t just LEED benchmarks to us. They’re features that make our facilities healthier places for our students, faculty, staff and community. That is important to us,” Khalil said.