COLLEGE PARK, Md. –The Green Building Certification Institute this week awarded a LEED Gold rating to the Philip Merrill College of Journalism’s John S. and James L. Knight Hall, making it the first green building on the University of Maryland, College Park campus owned by the university to earn the designation.

"It is a triumph in delivery on a vision by the college, the university, the State of Maryland, and the many private funders who made this building possible,” said Merrill College Dean Kevin Klose.

Knight Hall, which opened in January 2010, incorporates dozens of features that reduce energy and water consumption. Builders used a high percentage of recycled construction materials and many new construction materials were sourced from the region to cut down on fossil fuel used for transportation. Special plumbing fixtures reduce water usage by up to 40 percent. An underground rainwater-collection system irrigates the surrounding property. �And the large number of windows allows 75 percent of the building to be lit by natural light.

The Green Building Certification Institute is an independent organization that certifies green buildings using rigorous standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. �Knight Hall was awarded the second highest rating — Gold — under the Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. �Platinum is the highest level of LEED certification. �South Campus Commons Building 7, part of a student apartment complex located on campus, previously achieved LEED Gold certification. �The complex was built through a public-private partnership and is managed by a private company.

Knight Hall is a state-of-the-art facility for journalism education. �It features high-tech classrooms and advanced multimedia labs that help one of the nation’s leading journalism faculties to prepare students to succeed in a rapidly changing media industry. � The $30 million building was funded by $16 million from the state of Maryland. The rest came from private donors, including large grants from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and numerous foundations, corporations and individuals.