St. Thomas More Catholic Church Awarded LEED® Certification
Coralville, Iowa – Miron Construction announced today that St. Thomas More Catholic Church has been awarded thirty points, thereby earning a Certified LEED® award level as established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), LEED® is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
John LePeau, chair of the Relocation Project Steering Committee for St. Thomas More Catholic Church, states, “Care for God’s creation has long been a principle of Catholic social teaching. At St. Thomas More Catholic Church we decided early on in the building project to take this teaching seriously and therefore that we needed to act as good stewards of the land and to build in an environmentally-responsible manner. The LEED® certification process proved to be an appropriate way to hold ourselves accountable to the goal of ‘building green.’ We are pleased both with the certification process and especially with our new church building. We are glad to have our efforts recognized with LEED® Certification.”
The new, 25,321-square-foot, single-story church completes the first phase of the project designed in partnership by Neumann-Monson Architects and Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects and constructed by Miron Construction Co., Inc. The main level includes a 400-seat sanctuary, narthex gathering space, and office space. The lower level houses flexible space to be used as a social hall and for religious education.
St. Thomas More Catholic Church achieved LEED® certification for construction waste management; use of recycled material content, regional materials, and low-emitting materials; implementation of energy and lighting-efficiency strategies and water reduction; and the incorporation of a variety of other sustainable strategies. By using less energy and water, annual operating and maintenance costs for LEED® certified buildings save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to a healthier indoor environment for people, all while lessening environmental impacts.
“With each new LEED® certified building, we get one step closer to USGBC’s vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “As the newest member of the LEED® family of green buildings, St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement.”
LEED® certification of St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community. Some of these features include:
- Site Development – Maximize Open Space
- Heat Island Effect – Non-Roof
- Light Pollution Reduction
- Water Efficient Landscaping – No Potable Water for Irrigation
- Water Use Reduction
- Optimize Energy Performance – 28%
- Construction Waste Management – 87% Diversion from Disposal
- Recycled Content – 24%
- Regional Materials – 61% Extracted, Processed & Manufactured Regionally
- Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan – During Construction
- Low-Emitting Materials (Adhesives & Sealants, Paints & Coatings, Carpet Systems, Composite Wood & Agrifiber)
- Controllability of Systems – Lighting
- Thermal Comfort – Design and Verification
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U.S. Green Building Council
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 78 local affiliates, nearly 16,000 member companies and organizations, and nearly 167,000 LEED® Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.
Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.
LEED®
The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Nearly 40,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED® rating systems, comprising nearly 8 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 120 countries. By using less energy, LEED®-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.
Miron Construction Co., Inc.
Miron Construction Co., Inc. is a forward-thinking, fast-growing private company completing work throughout the nation, and is also one of Wisconsin’s largest construction firms. Headquartered in Neenah, Wis., with regional offices in Madison, Wausau and Milwaukee, Wis., and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, last year Miron posted sales exceeding half a billion dollars. Miron provides innovative pre-construction, construction management, design-build and general construction services. For more information, please visit miron-construction.com.