Pitt’s First LEED Platinum Certification Achieved for Salk Hall Renovation
Home to the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Pharmacy and the School of Dental Medicine, Salk Hall is famously where Jonas Salk carried out his research on the polio vaccine while at Pitt.
A recent $72 million renovation of the 82-year-old building brought a multitude of upgrades and improvements. As a result, Salk Hall now boasts newly updated labs, modern classrooms and optimized office spaces, which helped earn the renovation a prestigious LEED Platinum certification, the highest recognition in sustainable building.
The project earned Pitt its first LEED Platinum designation — and 17th LEED certification overall, which provides third-party validation of the sustainability of a building’s design, construction, operations and maintenance.
Only 22 buildings in the Pittsburgh region and 155 in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have obtained a LEED Platinum designation.
The University’s LEED certified square footage now tops 1.3 million square feet of building space across five campuses.
The LEED Platinum Salk Hall Renovation project prioritized environmentally conscious efforts while upgrading an existing building. Over 90% of construction and demolition waste was diverted from landfills and the renovations reduced water consumption by a 36.8% compared to similar buildings.
The renovations also achieved a reduction of 44.6% in connected lighting power within the building. High solar-reflective roofs were installed to prevent heat absorption, and energy efficient HVAC systems were put in place to maintain optimal temperatures within the building.
To further contribute to sustainability, the project will be utilizing renewable energy from the University’s power purchase agreement with the Vesper Gaucho solar project.
Learn more about all of the Salk Hall Renovation’s green building details that helped it achieve LEED Platinum.