Press Releases

Messer excels in managing LEED Certified education projects

(May 22, 2008)  Messer Construction Co. has expertly completed four LEED Certified educational facilities in the past five years.

The LEED rating system was designed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) to encourage and facilitate the development of sustainable buildings. Building evaluation is divided into six categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental equality, and innovation and design process.

The Berea College Lincoln Hall renovation was the first LEED Certified building in Kentucky, and incorporated many of these sustainable elements. When the basement floor was lowered to create higher ceilings and more utility space, the original concrete basement floor was crushed, recycled, and used to improve drainage along the exterior foundation walls. The “slate” roof tiles are made of 100% plastic. The new heating and cooling system senses and notifies occupants when it needs to be activated, shut down, or started and when windows can be opened or closed. A three-story window well atrium illuminates the core with natural light.

In addition to Berea College, Messer also worked with the University of Cincinnati to complete two LEED-certified buildings as part of the MainStreet project. These were the first two LEED-certified projects on the campus. Sustainable elements incorporated into the UC Student Recreation Center and Joseph A. Steger Student Life Center include brownfield redevelopment, alternative transportation elements, stormwater management, water-efficient landscaping, water use reduction, carbon dioxide monitoring, and the incorporation and use of low-emitting materials.

Messer also has experience in LEED Certification for K-12 education facilities. Twenhofel Middle School in Covington, KY was designed for utility efficiency, using solar panels to provide clean energy for science labs and ¬geothermal heating/cooling systems to regulate internal temperature. A unique roofing ¬design allows natural light to function as a primary source of illumination while water consumption is decreased through the use of a ¬precipitation-gathering system that both flushes toilets and irrigates athletic fields. This focus on ¬conservation and ecology allows the school to continuously function as a source of education to students, faculty and visitors alike.

Currently, Messer has five educational projects on-track for LEED Certification. These include:

• Health Sciences Center Expansion Phase III in Louisville, KY
• University of Louisville Center for Predictive Medicine in Louisville, KY
• Ohio Dominican University Student Center in Columbus, OH
• Oak Ridge High School Additions and Renovations in Knoxville, TN
• Xavier University Hoff Academic Quad in Cincinnati, OH

Back to Press Releases