New Law Center Wins Two Top Awards from U.S. Green Building Council's Maryland Chapter
February 5, 2013
Contact: University Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
The Maryland chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council has given two awards to the University of Baltimore's new John and Frances Angelos Law Center, soon to be home to the UB School of Law. The awards—the USGBC 2012 Wintergreen Award for Innovation in Sustainable Design and the USGBC President’s Award—were announced during the chapter's eighth annual Wintergreen Awards, held Jan. 24 at M&T Bank Stadium.
The Wintergreen Award for Innovation in Sustainable Design recognizes an outstanding project that exhibits excellence in green building design. The President's Award honors a project owner "who has the courage to reach for the highest achievement in sustainable building."
UB President Robert L. Bogomolny said, "Sustainable design has been a centerpiece of this project from the very beginning. This commitment serves a value statement to current and future students and is an integral part of our role as an anchor institution in Baltimore. The success we've achieved is a testament to the talent of our architect and the dedication of our UB team."
USGBC Chapter Board of Directors Chair Nathan Robb said, "Often we celebrate the designer's achievements in creating high performance green buildings; although these are people who bring the details together and ultimately make a building functional, we tend to forget about the driving force behind the design team. It takes an insightful and willing owner to trust their design team on such an endeavor as the Angelos Law Center building. Because of their willingness to break the paradigm for green buildings, I applaud UB and look forward to the habitation of Baltimore's next icon."
Slated to open later this spring, the new Angelos Law Center is a national model for sustainable architecture and forward-thinking perspectives on legal education. It was designed by Stefan Behnisch of Behnisch Architekten in Stuttgart, Germany, in partnership with Baltimore's Ayers/Saint/Gross. Located at the northeast corner of North Charles Street and Mt. Royal Avenue and overlooking Baltimore's historic Penn Station and the Jones Falls Expressway, the building features energy-conserving air handling systems and lighting technology, extensive use of trees and plantings both indoors and out, and a strong commitment to the use of green materials throughout the construction phase.
Current plans call for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating of platinum, which would make UB's one of the first law schools in the country to have this status. The building's LEED rating will be determined by the U.S. Green Building Council, which will validate the innovative and environmentally aware techniques and materials used to create the new law center.
The center boasts 12 floors with a central atrium that features natural light and numerous areas for study and group interaction, a 300-seat moot courtroom and event space, more than a dozen classrooms, a 32,000 square-foot library, and 29 large- and small-group meeting spaces. It will house all of UB's clinical services and law-related centers.
Learn more about the U.S. Green Building Council's Maryland chapter and the USGBC Wintergreen Awards.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the College of Public Affairs, the Merrick School of Business, the UB School of Law and the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences.