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Lawrence Technological University 2006 Campus Sustainability Achievement Award Application

Category

Four-year and graduate institutions 1,001 – 10,000 student FTE

Contact

Dr. Maria J. Vaz
Provost/Dean of Graduate Programs
Lawrence Technological University
Southfield, MI
248-204-2404
vaz@ltu.edu

Governance & Administration

Lawrence Technological University is recognized as a leader in sustainability education, research and practice. The University enrolls approximately 4,700 students in four colleges: Architecture & Design, Arts & Sciences, Engineering, and Management. Lawrence Tech’s vision is to be the recognized regional leader in focused technological and professional education. Our mission is to develop leaders through innovative and agile programs embracing theory and practice.

As part of Lawrence Tech’s commitment to the pursuit and demonstration of environmental stewardship, alternative energy, energy efficiency, and sustainability, the University has:

• Become an active member of:
1. a.Detroit Chapter of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) – Board Member
2. b.Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA)
3. c.Southeast Michigan Sustainable Business Forum (SMSBF)
4. d.United States Green Building Council (USGBC)
• Constructed a 42,000 square foot (expected to be Silver LEED Certified) Student Services Center (2006) inclusive of eighty-eight geothermal wells signified by eight-eight pillars of light located in the center of campus and illuminated at night by stored solar power
• Organized a campus recycling program
• Received $392,000 from the U.S. EPA for Sustainable and Energy Efficient Equipment and Technologies project for the new Student Services Center (2006)
• Received funding from the Wayne County EPA for a Rain Garden Demonstration and Research Project (2006)
• Received $100,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy as the only university in Michigan to compete in the 2007 Solar Decathlon Competition (2006)
• Received two awards in the 2006 "The New Orleans Single Family Prototype Housing Competition” sponsored by Architecture Record/Tulane University, which incorporated sustainable design housing concepts (2006)
• Placed first and second in a juried student design competition for a 25,000 square foot LEED-certified animal shelter (2005)
• Placed first in the Parson Brickerhof Environmental and Water Resources Student Design Competition for a river daylighting design for the Clinton River in Pontiac, Michigan
• Established an interdisciplinary Center for Sustainability (2005) led by Lawrence Tech alumnus and current University Architect and Associate Dean, College of Architecture
• Updated a Campus Master Plan inclusive of sustainability and storm water mitigation (2005)
• Installed a 10kW Photovoltaic Solar System on the roof of the Engineering building with a grant from the State of Michigan Energy Office (2005)
• Placed first in both 2004 and 2005 for the International ASHRAE Student Design Competition, and second in 2006, with sustainable designs
• Placed first, second, third, and took Honorable Mention in the State of Michigan’s Zero Energy Home Competition in 2004 and 2005
• Created an Alternative Energy Technology curriculum and established an AET lab with $150,000 grant from Michigan’s NextEnergy organization (2004-2005) and hired a Director of Alternative Energy Technology Programs.
• Formed an Alternative Energy Student Group to promote alternative energy usage, sustainable construction, and energy for developing nations (2004)
• Began offering a Certificate in Energy and Environmental Management (2005)
• Began offering a Dual Degree in Architecture and Construction Management (2004)

Operations

In April 2006, Lawrence Tech dedicated and opened the newly constructed 42,000-square-foot A. Alfred Taubman Student Services Center (Student Services Center). Expected to be eligible for Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification upon completion of commissioning, the Student Services Center will improve service delivery by locating all student service functions under one roof, thereby significantly demonstrating the university’s commitment to environmental stewardship to its students, faculty, administration and the community.

Lawrence Tech purchased and implemented sustainable and alternative energy and energy efficient technologies that have made the Student Services Center Building capable of energy consumption of approximately 34% when compared to a building of the same size using conventional technologies and construction. The Center utilizes a green roof; geothermal heating and cooling; smart lighting; and a progressive storm-water management system.

In addition to housing the traditional student services functions, the Student Services Center serves as a “living laboratory” of environmental, alternative energy, and energy efficient technologies and sustainable design for students in architecture, management, and engineering and for community education initiatives focused on environmental impact, energy efficient technologies and sustainable building design. Students will monitor the building’s energy efficiencies and conduct green roof and bio-swale performance evaluations as part of a community education project. The Center will also be used as an educational tool for the University’s current architecture and engineering students and for new undergraduate and graduate degree programs in alternative energy, facilities management, and sustainable design that the University is developing.

The green roof has an approximate 50 square foot section that can be used to test plant species for drought tolerant conditions that are different from the existing plants being used on the remaining part of the green roof. This provides on-going analysis of potential ways to improve green roof design and storm water management.

To facilitate the demonstration of technologies utilized in the Center to students, educators and the community at large, many of the technologies remain exposed or incorporate viewing stations of interactive electronic displays. In numerous locations, signage explains the alternative energy technologies, the rational for their use, and estimated energy savings.

Curriculum & Research

Lawrence Technological University is emerging as a leader in Sustainability education, research, and practice.

The University established a Center for Sustainability (CFS) in 2005. The CFS’s mission and goals embrace the University’s 73-year commitment to teaching both theory and practice by developing a self-sustaining network of interdisciplinary programs to advance the field of sustainable design and development across a breadth of communities. CFS provides a unique network of interdisciplinary academic, research and professional programs which advance sustainable design and development and attracts partnerships with academic and non-academic groups. The CFS is unique is because it is exclusively an undergraduate program, encouraging students to become sustainability-aware much earlier in their careers.

The long term goals of the CFS are to: 1) provide students opportunities to learn about sustainability on multiple levels and foster critical thinking, communication, and team work skills; 2) undertake sustainability-based research for faculty and students in a collaborative environment and become a regional leader and resource in research and knowledge; and 3) partner with academic, professional, municipal, and commercial groups to secure the long-term viability of the center.

Each of the University’s four colleges has its own strengths which complement the others and strengthens the University’s goal to incorporate sustainability throughout its curriculum.

The College of Architecture and Design is Michigan’s largest, and the nation’s fifth-largest College of Architecture. Its curriculum focuses on urban renewal, energy efficiency, and sustainable design. The College of Architecture is developing an undergraduate Minor in Sustainable Design and Technology, and has added Concentration and Certificate programs in the area of Sustainable Architecture.

The College of Engineering is the largest college on campus and its graduates are highly sought after by industry because of their innovative and entrepreneurial education. Engineering programs include energy management, alternative energy technologies, globalization, innovative materials, advanced automotive technologies, sustainable design and construction, and innovative storm water management. The college created an Alternative Energy Technology (AET) curriculum, outfitted an alternative energy lab, and has installed a 10 kW photovoltaic solar system. Faculty and students in the College are creating a living innovative storm water management laboratory on campus for research and education. Innovative technologies in use include an extended detention basin, a bio-swale, and a green roof with a bio-retention cell (rain garden) and storm water treatment wetlands (under development).

The College of Arts and Sciences has strengths in the areas of ‘green’ chemistry, chemical biology, environmental science, and intelligent systems.

The College of Management offers courses in the areas of social entrepreneurialism, life cycle analysis and product development to broaden the scope of innovative and interdisciplinary undergraduate instruction.

Students from all four colleges are collaborating on a house design for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory-sponsored, Solar Decathlon 2007. Lawrence Tech is one of twenty (20) universities internationally, and the only Michigan university, to compete. Each Solar Decathlon home must generate enough energy from the sun to operate a household, a home-based business and related transportation needs (solar/electric car).

Community Service and Outreach

The College of Engineering at Lawrence Tech has a long-term history of academic and student-project success. The College is the academic partner for the DTE Energy Hydrogen Technology Park, a joint effort of DTE Energy, Department of Energy, DaimlerChrysler, and BP, and our students provide data acquisition and analysis for the project. Lawrence Tech’s expertise in storm water management, geotechnical, and environmental technologies is reflected in award-winning student projects such as the Evans Creek Restoration Project, the Clinton River Daylighting Project, and South Haven Marina Project.

Lawrence Tech engineering students were awarded the Industry Leadership Honors Project Award in 2005 for developing a renewable power source for a tire pressure monitoring system. A solar-power system was developed by another student team for Fischer Price for a mid-size remote-controlled vehicle using the LM317 current limiter chip and a microprocessor.

Students in the College of Architecture and Design have received numerous industry, state, national and international awards and have been recognized for success in sustainable housing competitions, as well as have worked on many real-world projects. Recognition includes first, second, third, and honorable mention for two consecutive years for the State of Michigan Energy Office’s Zero Energy House Competition, and winning first place in the 2004, and 2005, and second place in 2006 in the International ASHRAE Student Design Competition. Students have also participated in building Habitat for Humanity homes for several years, and proposed an energy-efficient design that may be included in future home design. During the fall of 2005, students competed in a juried design competition for a 25,000 square foot LEED-certified animal shelter.

The College of Architecture and Design through Sponsored Studio Efforts (The DetroitStudio) has provided community based design studies for communities in the Detroit metro area. The result has been multiple examples of published community/urban design plans, for community redevelopment including replacement sustainable housing prototype designs involving energy conserving technology. The university has established itself with Community Develop Corporations (CDC's) in the area; Highland Park development Company, Vision 2020 (Oakland County), and Habitat for Humanity (Oakland County).

Sponsored studio projects and hands on construction projects have resulted in Lawrence Technological University students and faculty completing two Habitat for Humanity houses in Oakland County, Michigan. Recently, students received two awards in the 2006 "The New Orleans Single Family Prototype Housing Competition” sponsored by Architecture Record/Tulane University, which incorporated sustainable design housing concepts.

Lawrence Tech has partnered with professional organizations to sponsor two Energy Summits in the last two years. The second summit emphasized sustainability including: a training session on ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1, “the energy standard”; tours of the new sustainable Student Activities Building and the 10kW Photovoltaic system; and lectures on such topics as geothermal heat pumps and how to design for sustainability.

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