51视频

02/02/2018
By Ed Brennen

The City of Lowell thinks there鈥檚 a lot to like about the university鈥檚 new Pulichino Tong Business Center.

The LEED Gold-certified building, which opened last April and is home to the Manning School of Business, received the Green Design Award from the city at its annual Sustainable Lowell Awards.

Representatives from Facilities Management and the Office of Sustainability accepted the award from Lowell Mayor William Samaras during a reception at City Hall. The university was also formally recognized at an ensuing City Council meeting.

鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to be able to contribute to the greening of the city,鈥� Assoc. Vice Chancellor for Facilities Thomas Dreyer said as he accepted the award on behalf of Chancellor Jacquie Moloney and the university. 鈥淥ur sustainability efforts go far beyond buildings, from transportation to storm water management. We try to set an example and practice what we preach 鈥� and teach.鈥�

Image by Robert Benson Photography

Now in their sixth year, the Sustainable Lowell Awards are run by the city鈥檚 Lowell Sustainability Council (LSC). Originally known as the Green Building Commission, the LSC鈥檚 mission is to promote citywide sustainability through education, communication and collaboration.

Pulichino Tong recently became the second building on campus to receive LEED Gold certification, joining its North Campus neighbor, the Mark and Elisia Saab Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center (ETIC). The university also has four LEED Silver buildings: University Crossing, University Suites, the McGauvran Center and the Health and Social Sciences Building.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the rating system used by the U.S. Green Building Council to evaluate the environmental performance of buildings and encourage sustainable design.

鈥淲e鈥檙e very excited about 51视频 constructing its sixth LEED-certified building in the city in the last four years,鈥� said Jay Mason, chair of the Lowell Sustainability Council. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge accomplishment, and we鈥檙e honored to have you in our city doing these kinds of projects.鈥�

Image by Ed Brennen

The 54,800-square-foot Pulichino Tong building includes sustainable features such as occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting, 鈥渃hilled beams鈥� for heating and cooling, and a solar wall on the back of the building to preheat the intake air.

鈥淭he solar wall was an inexpensive experiment,鈥� said Ann Storer, former program manager for the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM), who worked with the university and the city on the Pulichino Tong project. 鈥淭here are not a lot of those solar walls in the state, but it鈥檚 worked out very well.鈥�

Storer, who joined Facilities Management last summer as senior planner of capital and space, said the decision to use efficient gas-fired boilers at Pulichino Tong, rather than tying the building into the steam system on North Campus, was also a key sustainability element.

鈥淚t鈥檚 critically important that we鈥檙e working with the city on sustainability issues,鈥� said Director of Sustainability Ruairi O鈥橫ahony, who submitted the award application for the Pulichino Tong building in October. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 transportation or facilities, there鈥檚 an outcome benefit for both the city and the university.鈥�