Marion Johnson, a graduate student from Powder Springs, Ga., and Sa Nhan Nguyen, a fourth year accounting major from Morrow, Ga., working at the information desk located in the Tate 2 lobby
By Jourdana Passaro
The 95,000 square-foot expansion to Tate set out to demonstrate UGA’s choice to go green, but most students are still unaware of the building’s purpose and ‘green’ qualities.
Kacee Sullivan, a third-year accounting major from Elijay, Ga., said she did not know that Tate 2 is a ‘green’ building.
“It’s not obvious. Maybe if there were solar-powered panels on top of the building more people would know that the building has green qualities,” Sullivan said.
The $60 million project was built with much consideration for the environment, according to a brochure that describes the qualities of the expansion. During its two years of development, it was constructed with low-emitting materials that aim to provide healthy indoor air, and is maintained by UGA’s Green Cleaning Policy.
Low-emitting materials, such as adhesives, sealants, paints and carpets, give off little or no contaminants that may be odorous, irritating and/or harmful to the well being of individuals. According to the Green Cleaning Policy, its purpose is to ensure the health of those who work, study and gather in the building by providing a space with little or no contaminants.
More than 20 percent of materials in the building--including brick, stone, steel, concrete, drywall, carpeting and furniture-- are recycled and native to the Southeast.
“There are recycling bins everywhere,” said Elizabeth Scott, 21, a third-year social studies education major from Marietta who works at Tate II’s information desk. “Even though 75 percent of the building debris was recycled and reused, recycling doesn’t end there. We make an effort to keep recycling.”
Despite the efforts to produce an environmentally friendly building, Tania Rodriguez, an accounting major from Hinesville, Ga., is not a fan. She often lounges in the building between classes to study and eat lunch.
“There are a lot of lights; I feel like they are always left on and just waste energy,” Rodriguez said.
According to a brochure, Tate 2 provides natural lighting for its occupants to minimize the amount of electricity used. The UGA website also provides that all non-emergency lighting is on automatic controllers that turn off during non-business hours.
Tate 2 also has an efficient heating and cooling system that recycles energy from conditioned air and eliminates greenhouse gases. The energy efficient design systems are expected by the advisory board to reduce energy use by about 17 percent a year.
In addition to preserving energy, Tate 2 preserves water. A 75,000-gallon cistern collects water and condensation from the Tate expansion and the Miller Learning Center. The water collected is used to flush toilets in the new building, saving thousands of gallons of water every month. Ultra-low plumbing systems also contribute to a 40 percent reduction of portable water use in the building.
Cameron Secord, vice president of SGA and a member of the Tate 2 advisory board, is aware of the ‘green’ qualities that the expansion possesses.
“I think the cistern is kinda cool,” said Secord, a political science, social science education major from Canada. “ It’s good that the administration took into consideration the environment. Being ‘green’ is wiser for the sustainability of the building.”
According to Secord, the only reason Tate 2 is not LEED certified is because of the extra cost it would have burdened the university with.
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It is an internationally recognized ‘green’ building certification system. It provides third party verification that a project was designed and constructed with strategies to increase performance, reduce waste, and improve quality of life.
Even though the price of materials increased during the construction of the Tate expansion, the university expects to continue building new structures with recycled materials and ‘green’ qualities. Currently, a new ‘green’ dorm is being built in East Campus.
Edited by Natalie Leff
This version is clearer and better organized. Citing the brochure as a source helps a lot, though a brochure isn't a great source. The story needs an administrator involved with the building to discuss its advantages and costs and provide an official response to students' complaints.
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