Catholic University is comprised of 52 buildings totaling roughly 2 million square feet. Campus facilities feature many sustainable and environmental best practices. These sustainable amenities provide a vibrant, challenging, and uplifting collegiate experience for students and the greater Catholic University community. Learn about campus buildings and their sustainable amenities using the green campus map or request a Sustainability Tour of a LEED and WELL certified building. 

WELL Certification

WELL Certification is a global rating system designed to support human health and well-being in buildings. Catholic University is pursuing WELL Certification for the Conway School of Nursing.

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    Conway School of Nursing

    The Conway School of Nursing was designed to to achieve both LEED Gold and WELL certification in alignment with the university's commitment to both sustainability and human health and well-being. Key features of the building inlcude ongoing monitoring of air quality and thermal conditions to maximize occupant health and wellbeing, a focus on lighting and acoustics to support the unique needs and preferences of users, and the selection of biophilic design elements and high-quality furnishings that support indoor air quality and minimize toxins in the build environment, among many others. For a full overview of the WELL features of the building, visit our page dedicated to exploring the building.

LEED

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is one of the most prominent green building certifications in the world. In addition to the Conway School of Nursing (details above), Catholic University is home to five other LEED-certified buildings.

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    Garvey Hall

    LEED Certified Silver, 2023

    Catholic University’s new dining commons, Garvey Hall, achieved LEED Silver certification. The building and grounds include two permeable pavement facilities, one bioretention facility, and one infiltration trench, and there is no irrigation on site. It achieved a 30% water use reduction based on the LEED baseline and a 10% energy reduction based on the ASHRAE 2010 energy baseline. Its design also includes light pollution reduction strategies and it focuses on reducing the heat island effect.

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    Maloney Hall

    LEED Certified Gold v.2009, 2020

    Maloney Hall, the recently renovated home to the Busch School of Business, achieved LEED Gold certification. Its features include but are not limited to a rainwater collection system, LED lighting to minimize electricity use, and temperature, light, and occupancy sensors to adapt to internal and external changes to maintain optimal comfort.
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    Father O'Connell Hall

    LEED Certified v2009, 2020

    Father O’Connell Hall is LEED-certified. In the renovation of this building, 95% of the existing structure was reused and 75% of demolition waste was diverted from the landfill. Low-flow plumbing fixtures achieved a 30% indoor water use reduction.

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    The Crough Center

    LEED Certified O+M v2009, 2014

    The Crough Center is notable as the first student-led LEED-certified building and as the first-ever LEED-certified architecture school. The building features many best practices such as efficient lighting and controls, rain gardens, building management policies, and water efficient plumbing fixtures.

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    Opus Hall

    LEED Certified NC v2.2, 2010

    As one of the newer buildings on campus, Opus Hall was designed with sustainability in mind. The building is 10.5% more energy efficient than average residence halls and 75% of spaces have access to a view and/or adequate daylight. Water fixtures are 20% more efficient than standard indoor plumbing fixtures and the building achieved a 50% reduction in potable water used for landscaping.

Building Interiors

As part of our green building efforts, Catholic University emphasizes sustainability and occupant health and wellness during building renovations. For instance, in 2023 the University completed several interior projects with a focus on sustainable design and furnishings that support healthy indoor air quality.

  • In the Anthropology Suite in O'Boyle Hall, 87% of the furniture met stringent environmentally friendly certification criteria from Greenguard, InterTek Clean Air, or SCS Certified Indoor Advantage, with 6% repurposed from elsewhere. The flooring materials received CRI Green Label Plus and Cradle-to-Cradle Silver level certifications.
  • The Columbus School of Law Lower Level Improvements achieved a 93% certification rate for its furniture selections, emphasizing indoor air quality, while the carpet, certified with CRI Green Label Plus, boasted post-consumer content and low volatile organic compounds.
  • The Pryzbyla Hub featured many eco-conscious carpet and luxury vinyl tile selections, with 86% of the furniture complying with environmental certificates.
  • The Pangborn Lobby renovation continued the university's sustainability commitment with furniture bearing Greenguard and InterTek Clean Air certifications.

LED lighting was also incorporated into each project to ensure energy efficiency.