When Jenny Levin first came to UW-Madison, she knew she wanted to be a part of something big. After attending the campus club fair, however, she found herself with too many options. Everything fascinated her. About a week later, an email appeared in her inbox inviting her to a kickoff meeting with Emerging Green Builders (EGB). She attended out of curiosity, and by the time the meeting ended, she knew where she wanted to be. Now a senior in the mechanical engineering department, Jenny has served two years as a chair of the EGB.
The Monona Terrace was the first convention center to receive silver level certification under the LEED rating system.
EGB is an organization of students brought together by a passion for sustainable design. The goal of the organization is to expose students to sustainable design in the real world, and the majority of their meetings include site tours and guest speakers.
The group is open to everyone on campus and it doesn’t require membership. Around 30 individuals regularly attend meetings, many of whom are not in the College of Engineering. In fact, landscape architecture and interior design majors compose a majority of the non-engineering students involved in the club. “We encourage students who are undecided in their major to attend meetings,” Levin says.
Sustainable design is quickly becoming the norm for campus building projects. Many buildings that wish to be recognized for being green apply for what is known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Internationally recognized, this certification system judges building projects on a 69-point system. Buildings can be awarded silver, gold or platinum certification, depending upon their rankings in several different categories, including site selection, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environment quality and innovation and design. The Monona Terrace was the first convention center to receive silver level certification under the LEED rating system.
LEED certified buildings are of particular interest to EGB since they are the pinnacle of green buildings. A good example of green building on campus is the Wisconsin Institute of Discovery (WID), slated to open in December, which EGB toured as an organization. When touring this building, club members’ attention was drawn to many unique aspects of the building’s design, including an indoor winter garden, complete with four feet of topsoil. Indoor plants and gardens have become an important part of green building because not only are they visually appealing, but they also improve the air quality and help maintain a steady temperature in the building.
Across the street from the WID is the building site for the new south campus union, which will also apply for LEED Certification. Some may argue that the greenest option would have been to simply renovate the old Union South rather than tear it down completely. This stems from the idea that tearing down a building to put up a new one is one of the worst things that can be done environmentally. Between the construction costs, carbon emissions from demolition and carbon emissions from transportation of materials, the entire process takes a toll on the environment. According to Levin, “You can put up a house in two months with a cheap design, but if it doesn’t last 30 years, it’s not a very good design.” To help combat some of these issues, the south campus union project plans to recycle its refuse from demolition whenever possible.
EGB is still a fresh organization. As club leaders graduate and leave leadership positions open, there is much space for expansion of ideas. “I’d like to see the club become more relevant,” Richie Lyon, the newest chair in the club, says, referring to his big ideas for the future of the organization. Some of the plans for increasing the presence of EGB on campus include community service projects, such as installing new insulation in houses around Madison.
Although EGB focuses on educating the campus and the general public about sustainable building practices, this is only a portion of their purpose. “We want students to be constantly thinking about what’s practical,” Levin says. “Is the goal to look green or be green?” Acquiring more members allows EGB to host more open discussions on ethics and sustainable practices. Through these discussions, they hope to promote critical thinking on green building.