Carnegie Mellon University
OP-1: Building Operations and Maintenance

The University’s building policy requires that any construction or renovation project with a value over $2 million achieve a LEED Silver rating at minimum. The university was a pilot partner in the EPA's Lab21 program for green design in laboratory facilities.

Below is a section of the institution's policies for sustainable building operations and maintenance:

"By contract with the university, Design Consultants apply university Design and Construction Standards to their work on university projects.

If Design Consultants identify circumstances in which, in their professional opinion, either the university or their internal customers or their projects themselves would be better served by waiving the application of any aspect of the Design and Construction Standards, they must seek formal approvals to continue with design services that do not apply certain of those Design and Construction Standards to their work.

To obtain such waivers, Design Consultants are asked to put their requests in writing addressed to their university Project Manager (PM) assigned to their projects. PMs submit these written applications for waivers to the Director of Design in the university’s Campus Design and Facilities Development (CDFD) organization, or to the University Engineer in the university’s Facilities Management Services (FMS) organization, or to both (depending on the nature of each proposed waiver) for review and response. Copies of waiver requests also go to the Associate Vice Provost (Associate VP) for CDFD, to the PM’s supervisor (the Director of Construction for CD&FD), and to Customer Representatives (CRs) for the projects involved.

The Director of Design in the University's CD&FD organization or University Engineer or both approve or reject waiver applications in writing and transmit them to the PM, with copies to the Design Consultant, to the Associate VP for CD&FD, to the supervisor and to the CR. Design Consultants or CRs may appeal rulings on waiver applications to the Associate VP.

The Associate VP reviews appeals of proposed waivers and either approves or denies them, with advice from the PMs and the supervisor, and from other interested parties not directly involved in the appeal. Associate VP decisions are put in writing and transmitted to the appellant (Design Consultant or CR), with copies to the other interested party and to the University Architect/Engineer, to the PM, and to the supervisor.

Waiver requests provide useful insights into the effect of the Design Guidelines. Over time, they may prompt confirmations of, or changes to, the Design Guidelines."

The building space data provided for fiscal year 2010 can be verified from the Carnegie Mellon Factbook 2010-2011, Campus Space, Facilities, and Services at http://www.cmu.edu/ira/factbook/facts2011.html

LEED Gold:
5,000 sf (GSIA West Entry),
9,400 sf (Carnegie Cafe),
136,000 sf (Collaborative Innovation Center).

LEED Silver:
68,000 sf (300 South Craig),
12,000 sf (407 South Craig),
15,770 sf (Henderson House),
6,800 sf (Porter Hall 100),
71,140 sf (Stever House),
170,700 sf (Doherty Phase II),
7,800 sf (GSIA 1st floor).

LEED Certified:
11,400 sf Posner Center.

Awaiting USGBC LEED rating:
208,000 sf (Gates & Hillman).

Projects built in accordance with environmental standards, but is NOT certified under LEED:

Central Chiller Plant,
4,100 sf Tartan Pavillion,
35,900 sf Welch Hall,
784 sf Pittsburgh Synergy Solar House,
76,500 sf Robert L. Preger Intelligent Workspace.