Nation's First Green Dorm Renamed

The dorm, designed by Pittsburgh-based architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, features high-efficiency washing machines to conserve water and VOC-free paint and adhesives.

by Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 6/20/2008

The Carnegie Mellon University residence hall with the honor of being the first dormitory in the United States to achieve LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, has a new name. It's now called Stever House, in honor of H. Guyford Stever, the university's fifth president.

The $12.5 million, 71,400 square foot building, designed by local Pittsburg-based architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, was designated LEED Silver after it opened in 2003. Housing first-year students, the residence hall features high-efficiency washing machines to conserve water, VOC-free paint and adhesives, and gypsum drywall with 99 percent recycled content. Carpet is recycled yarn and motion sensor lighting reduces energy consumption.

Stever was responsible for the creation of the school's Department of Computer Science, and the School of Urban and Public Affairs. 

Carnegie's Henderson House also boasts LEED Silver certification, after a $3.9 million renovation by architecture firm RSH Architects completed in 2004. It now has furnishings made from FSC-certified wood and recycled content.