Gold Medals

Two recent renovations on Penn’s campus have set a gold standard. The refurbished and expanded Music Building, located at 201 S. 34th St., part of Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences, and Joe’s Café, a new eatery in the Wharton School’s Steinberg-Dietrich Hall, at 3620 Locust Walk, were certified LEED Gold in March by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Music Building and Joe’s Café join Penn’s first LEED-certified project, the Horticulture Center at the Morris Arboretum, which earlier this year achieved a LEED Platinum rating, the highest possible. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

The Music Building renovation, originally designed to meet LEED Silver requirements, exceeded these targets with efficient lighting, controls and mechanical and plumbing systems, passive storm water management techniques, reduced site water use with selection of drought resistant plant species and “smart” controls that adjust irrigation based on rainfall levels. Joe’s Café was built to achieve a LEED Gold designation for its commercial interior renovation, food-service practices, recycling, composting and chemical-free cleaning methods.