Growing Green

New Projects

At the heart of Xavier's current capital campaign—To See Great Wonders: The Campaign for Xavier—is a massive construction project featuring the state-of-the-art Learning Commons and a new home for the Williams College of Business. Both of these structures meet criteria for the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED silver level certification—a level consistent with recommendations in the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment.

The new structures feature:

• High-performance, energy-efficient buildings
• Day-lighting
• Heat recovery
• Use of local/regional materials
• Rapidly renewable materials
• Low-emitting materials

The new construction projects have other sustainable elements as well.

• A new central utility plant, which is more environmentally friendly than individual units.
• Retention ponds for capturing water runoff from building roofs and reuse in watering plant life.

Recycling Old Projects

The demolition work related to new building projects also includes massive recycling efforts.

When the former Zumbiel Packaging facility was razed in preparation for the construction of Xavier Square, the University recycled:

• 32,365 tons of concrete
• 1,520 tons of brick
• 206 tons of asphalt
• 2,679 tons of steel

In addition, the University salvaged materials from the houses along Dana and Ledgewood avenues that were demolished to make way for the projects. Xavier's contract with the demolition company specifies that 90 percent of the materials from the demolition be recycled.