Missouri Hall: Certified LEED Silver

What was once a 1920’s dormitory is now a ‘one-stop-shop’ for admissions and student services at Columbia College. For the renovation of Missouri Hall, SOA and Columbia College set a target of achieving LEED Silver Certification, but without adding to the construction cost. The concept of retaining a historic structure, but adapting it for efficient 21st century use, already aligned with a number of LEED credits, making the project a great candidate for certification.

The certification process created a way to document the sustainable aspects of the project that were intended from the beginning: salvaging an existing building, specifying efficient plumbing and lighting fixtures, increasing day lighting, reusing old building elements in new ways, and improving energy efficiency.

Achieving LEED Certification can be a powerful way for an organization to communicate their sustainable efforts to the public.

While there are many ways to use a building as an educational example, a main benefit of LEED is the “brand recognition” it has attained, which immediately conveys a certain level of environmental commitment.

Missouri Hall was the first building in Columbia to receive LEED Certification. For more information, see:

• Columbia Missourian Article
• Columbia College Spotlight Article