You are here: American University About Sustainability Buildings & Grounds McKinley Building Green Building Features

McKinley Building

LEED Gold certified

Back to top

AU's Second Oldest Building

The McKinley building, which earned LEED Gold in 2015, is home to the School of Communications (SOC). The building was designed by Bowie-Gridley Architects and features several aspects of sustainable design.

The original structure was completed in 1918 and was one of the first buildings on the AU campus. The LEED project featured a complete interior renovation as well as a new addition to the original structure. The façade and iconic copper dome of the building were retained and designed to complement the original structure, signifying the convergence of traditional and new media landscapes.

Learn more about McKinley LEED features in the case study.

Green Features

Selected
Building
Landscape
  • Water efficient lavatory fixtures, water closets, and urinals resulting in 37% less water consumption than a standard building.
  • Over 20% of the building materials contain recycled content, resulting in a reduced environmental impact of building construction.
  • Existing marble from demolished walls were integrated into the building addition and landscaping features.
  • The building uses 26% less energy than a conventional building through the use of energy efficient HVAC equipment, CFL and LED lighting, and highly insulated walls, roof, and windows.
  • Over 20% of the building materials used were sourced regionally, within a 500-mile radius of the project site.
  • Numerous extensive green roofs to help reduce storm water runoff.

  • Bio-retention basin and storm filter integrated in the landscape helps filter and retain storm water runoff.

The building addition reused 75 percent

of the existing walls, floors, and roof.