CLC Science Building wins Building Council award

GRAYSLAKE - The College of Lake County's new Science Building, scheduled to open later this year and containing sustainable features ranging from solar panels to rainwater recovery, has received an exclusive Emerald Award for Building Innovation from the Illinois chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

CLC received the award for unique sustainability approaches to a traditionally energy-intensive building type, according to Brian Imus, executive director of USGBC-Illinois.

The three-story Science Building, designed by Chicago-based Legat Architects, houses engineering and photonics labs on the first floor and chemistry labs on floors two and three.

"The Science Building represents CLC's commitment to sustainability, while also serving as a teaching tool that supports the college's curriculum and its emphasis on contributing to the green economy," said Legat's Principal-in-Charge of Higher Education Jeffrey Sronkoski.

The Science Building is part of a $28.3 million Illinois Capital Development Board project that includes renovations of 25,000 square feet of space in the A Wing.

The award is the second "green" award that CLC has received in the last eight months. Last October, CLC was one of nine community colleges nationwide to receive a $10,000 Green Genome award from the American Association of Community Colleges. The award recognized CLC for incorporating sustainability into its governance structure and overall college culture, said David Husemoller, CLC sustainability manager.