As more architects, planners and corporate executives pay closer attention to “green” buildings when it’s time for an expansion or a new facility, the official certification designation called “LEED” (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is becoming a standard to follow.

Now, thanks to a family of new sustainable materials, environmental signage such as ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) signs, wayfinding signage and directory signs, can help a building earn points toward LEED certification.

LEED was initiated in 1998 by an entity called the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and has since become an international standard. LEED approval is obtained when a building demonstrates that it is “sustainable”, in other words, it’s designed in a way to save energy, emit less carbon dioxide, use recycled and recyclable materials, utilize water better, and generally provide for a healthier-than-normal environment for those working in and around the building.

LEED certification can be obtained for homes as well as for commercial, educational and government buildings, and it can apply to modifications to existing buildings as well. A point system is used to evaluate all aspects of a building’s construction and operations, with four levels of certification possible: certified; silver; gold; and the highest level, platinum.

The LEED initiative is now widely known amongst planners and architects, who focus a lot of attention on sustainable construction materials and elements such as carpeting, walls, floors and water systems. Now, environmentally-friendly wayfinding signage is also getting more attention as a way to round out the LEED-qualifying package. And every building needs environmental graphic signage, especially directional and identification signs.

Recently, Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, took advantage of new advancements in sustainable wayfinding signage materials when they were planning a new building to house their Institute for Global Citizenship. Their goal was to achieve the highest level of LEED certification, platinum – and they were able to do exactly that, earning points not just for the more obvious building and systems components, but for the wayfinding signs as well.

The building, Markim Hall, is a $7.5 million, 17,000 square-foot facility and was the first higher education building to earn LEED platinum certification in the state of Minnesota. It opened in the fall of 2009.

According to Suzanne Savanick Hansen, sustainability manager at Macalester, “The signs used at Markim Hall were made out of a locally-made product which is 85% post-consumer waste. They were included in the category of ‘local and recycled materials’ to earn points toward our LEED certification.” The product is made from consumer waste paper, yet it’s very durable, and can accept graphics. The material is also eco-friendly to make, as any waste created in the manufacturing process is recycled back into the manufacturing process. It was used not just for the wayfinding signage, but for interior window sills and counter tops.

Macalester College is finding that going green has benefits beyond the environment. According to Suzanne Savanick Hansen, “Markim Hall has been a destination for many visitors who want to see a LEED Platinum building. It’s definitely good for us in terms of increasing awareness of our college, and demonstrating environmental leadership. We also find that many financial donors to Macalester are interested in our eco leadership. We had certain donations because we have such a high-profile, sustainable building.”

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Category: Business
Keywords: Environmental Graphic Design,Wayfinding Signage