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The Lincoln Hall project
will be submitted for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
gold certification, which would place the project at the forefront
of the national movement for sustainable energy practices. "The
University of Illinois is a national leader in alternative energy
research, with the new Institute for Genomic Biology, our joint
research program with Stanford University and the Integrated
Post-Harvest Processing Center now being built. The Lincoln Hall
renovation is another way to conserve energy and show how we can be
good stewards of the environment," Blagojevich said.
LEED certification rates projects based on their energy and water
use efficiency, indoor air quality, the use of recycled and local
materials, design innovation, pollution reduction, erosion control,
and the overall impact of the project on the surrounding
environment. The Lincoln Hall project goals include the latest
energy-saving climate control systems that would also improve indoor
air quality; special insulation and window treatments to improve the
building's energy efficiency while preserving its historic
character; lighting systems that would conserve energy and improve
the classroom environment; plumbing fixtures that would reduce water
usage; and other measures that will be specifically addressed during
the design phase of the project. These planned upgrades would not
only save energy but also help cut emissions of greenhouse gases and
air pollutants.
The state of Illinois has released $3 million for planning the
Lincoln Hall renovation, with the balance of state funds, $55.1
million, included in the governor's proposed fiscal 2008 budget. The
University of Illinois is contributing $8.3 million to the project.
Lincoln Hall was built in 1911 and has had no major improvements
since the west half and theater were added in 1930. The planned
$66.4 million construction project will reconfigure existing space
for more classrooms and to meet current life safety codes.
Instructional space will be concentrated on the first two floors and
the backstage area of the theater, which has not been used for 25
years, since the relocation of the Theater Department to the
Krannert Center. The top two floors will be primarily faculty office
space. The building will also receive upgrades to its electrical,
lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and computer
network systems, as well as new flooring, ceilings and wall
finishes.
"It is altogether fitting that we employ the best contemporary
thinking in the renovation of an historic campus building honoring
Abraham Lincoln, one of Illinois' and the nation's great leaders,"
said B. Joseph White, president of the University of Illinois.
"Lincoln valued clarity of thought and innovation, exactly the
qualities that drive the leading-edge building processes and
materials that will contribute to a healthy, energy-efficient and
environmentally friendly future."
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 The Lincoln Hall project will be overseen by the Capital
Development Board, which manages all state-funded construction,
rehabilitation and repair projects, in cooperation with the
University of Illinois.
"The Lincoln Hall project will retain the historic character of
the building, thus preserving the past while looking toward a
'green' future," said Jan Grimes, executive director of the Capital
Development Board.
Blagojevich signed legislation in 2005 that requires the Capital
Development Board to spearhead the growth of "green" building
methods throughout the state. The new law was sponsored by state
Sen. John Cullerton of Chicago and state Rep. Dave Winters of
Shirland. It requires the board to identify state construction
projects that can use "green" principles. Some of these projects
either planned or under way are the new Workforce Training Center at
Heartland Community College in Bloomington-Normal, the Post-Harvest
Processing Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
the Southern Illinois University Carbondale Transportation Center,
and the Performing Arts Center and Riverfront Campus at Western
Illinois University. The legislation also requires the Capital
Development Board to organize "green building" workshops and to form
the Green Building Advisory Committee, both of which were
accomplished in 2006.
The
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building
Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design,
construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED
gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an
immediate and measurable impact on their building's performance.
LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by
recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental
health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy
efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
[Text from file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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