Salk Hall Renovation (LEED Platinum, 2023)

Salk Hall is home to the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Pharmacy and the School of Dental Medicine — and famously where Jonas Salk carried out his research on the polio vaccine while at Pitt. 

This LEED Platinum renovation project encompassed Pharmacy spaces and portions of Dental Medicine; Floors 5 through 11 and parts of Floors 2, 3, and 4 were renovated.

The 99,777 square foot renovation achieved LEED Platinum in 2023 for Commercial Interiors . 

Green Building Highlights

• Renovating an existing
  building instead of building new helped keep embodied carbon in place.

• Given the density of Pitt’s
  campus, the Salk Hall renovation and University encourage the use of
  public transit and active commutes; no parking was being added.

 

• High indoor air quality standards ensured the health of construction workers and
  future occupants.

• Indoor spaces were designed for thermal comfort, with energy efficient HVAC systems with control zones optimized for occupant comfort.

• High solar reflective roofs reject more heat absorption, keeping indoor air temperatures cooler and reducing the need for air conditioning.

• 90.7% the project’s construction waste was diverted from landfill to reuse or recycling.

• 98.7% of all power required by equipment and appliances is used by ENERGY STAR-rated products, helping reduce building-wide energy use.

• The renovation reduced connected lighting power by 44.7%.

• Building wide water use reduction was documented at 36.8%, including use of low flow water
  fixtures.

• Recycling throughout the building complies with University requirements and efforts to reduce waste to landfill campus-wide.

• Building products were regionally extracted and manufactured, containing recycled content, and / or FSC certified wood where possible.

• The renovation used low-emitting materials including adhesives, sealants, paints, flooring
  and composite wood.

• The project complies with and demonstrates University-wide green cleaning and integrated pest management practices.

• 100% of the project’s electricity is renewable, including from the University’s power purchase agreement with the Vesper Gaucho solar project less than 20 miles from campus.

Architect: Ballinger
Contractor: PJ Dick