UDC Student Center achieves LEED Platinum Certification

In January 2016, the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) revealed a brand new look for its Student Center after a campus-wide renovation. The $63 million building became the centerpiece of a 10-year master plan, serving as a site for engaging and supporting students academically and socially. Now, it has also become one of only two LEED Platinum-certified university student unions on the east coast.

Behind the Student Center’s design is CannonDesign in association with D.C.-based Marshall Moya Design. The 83,000-square-foot Student Center, located at Connecticut Avenue NW and Van Ness Street NW, houses a 14,000-square-foot green roof as well as a rain garden, photovoltaic panels, and toilets that flush with captured rain water.

There are also areas for socializing with mixed-use retail, a conference center and ballroom, and a fitness and wellness center. This is all to re-energize the campus so that it’s seen less as a “commuter campus” and more as a social destination.

In a statement, UDC President Ronald Mason, Jr. said, “This building is a symbol of where we want to be and what we want to represent in terms of our role with the District.”

• New UDC Student Center balances sustainability with modern design [Curbed DC]