Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

State education officials today are expected to celebrate a special “green” certification for a new 367-bed residence hall at Rhode Island College.

The Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education will take part in the celebration at 5 p.m. on the college campus with outgoing RIC president John Nazarian and incoming president Nancy Carriuolo.

The new residence hall is the largest building in Rhode Island to receive the so-called LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. It is also the first residence hall in Rhode Island to earn the designation.

The 127,500-square-foot building was designed by RGB, a Providence-based architecture, engineering and interior design firm.

Energy efficient design is expected to save more than $115,000 annually in heat and air conditioning costs. The building was sited to minimize the clearing of natural vegetation and more than 750,000 tons of trash from the construction work was recycled.

-- Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord

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