The USC Capital Campus allows interdisciplinary researchers, policy experts, faculty and students to work in close collaboration with leading government and research institutions. (USC Photo/Sydney Walley)
University
USC Capital Campus awarded LEED Platinum certification
The certification of the USC’s Washington, D.C., facility underscores the university’s commitment to sustainability coast to coast.
The USC Capital Campus has been awarded LEED Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The achievement — the highest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification — underscores USC’s commitment to sustainability, innovation and the local community across all of its campuses.
“We are proud that the USC Capital Campus has been awarded LEED Platinum certification,” USC Capital Campus Executive Director Elyse Levine said. “This is a wonderful recognition of our dedication to creating a cutting-edge and sustainable campus in the heart of Washington, D.C.”
When the Capital Campus was established in the spring of 2023, the facility was certified LEED Gold for its core and shell. Over the past two years, the university has developed the campus’s interior spaces with a focus on smart design, undertaking strategic upgrades to drive meaningful sustainability gains. These developments contributed to an energy cost savings of nearly 20%, in alignment with USC’s ambitious Sustainable Design and Construction Guidelines.
LEED, the preeminent rating system for green buildings, provides a framework for the holistic evaluation of a building’s sustainability and environmental performance. To earn LEED certification, buildings must complete the required prerequisites and undergo a rigorous assessment and review.
“The U.S. Green Building Council’s recognition of the Capital Campus extends USC’s sustainability vision, aspirations and goals outlined in our Assignment: Earth framework from coast to coast,” USC Chief Sustainability Officer Mick Dalrymple said. “In particular, the accolade and the dedicated efforts of the USC team and partners who earned it emphasize the university’s commitment to developing the Capital Campus into a sustainable and healthy ecosystem that promotes human well-being.”
As part of the project review, points are awarded for meeting specific benchmarks. Areas of review include location and transportation, indoor environmental quality, and innovation. The Capital Campus excelled in optimizing energy performance, indoor water use reduction, and location and transportation.
LEED Platinum certification was also earned by the Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall and the Dick Wolf Drama Center, both of which opened on the USC University Park Campus last year.
