Spokane Falls Community College Gold LEED building opens

SPOKANE — Spokane Falls Community College and Sustainable September invites the public to attend a presentation and take a tour of Washington’s first community college building to receive the LEED Gold certification. This free event takes place Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in the sn-w’ey’-mn building auditorium. sn-w’ey’-mn is the first new building on the SFCC campus in nearly 20 years, and houses the Business and Social Science programs. The tour will be hosted by Melissa McFadgen, project manager with NAC Architecture, Dennis E. Dunham, Director of Capital Projects, Community Colleges of Spokane, and Arden Crawford, Facilities Manager, SFCC. After the tour, the group will gather in the auditorium for a presentation and opportunity for questions. GOLD LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the second highest level a building can rate on the sustainability guides (platinum being the highest) set by the U.S. Green Building Council. The “sn-w’ey’-mn” building utilized a variety of techniques to reach this rating, including using 95 percent post consumer recycled materials for construction, a commitment to use wind power to light the building, along with a variety of energy-saving features. Some of the innovative energy saving features include: radiant-floor heat in the three-story atrium, double walls of glass on its west side with louvers in between, and installation of bamboo cabinetry, doors and trim. This event is part of a month long campaign called Sustainable September sponsored by Community-Minded Enterprises. Sustainable September seeks to raise community awareness about the importance of simple living, taking care of our environment and one another, and supporting local businesses.