ICTAS II, Blacksburg, Va., May 4, 2011 is the first research building at Virginia Tech to be LEED Gold certified.

The U.S. Green Building council awarded Virginia Tech’s Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science  with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification for their ICTAS II building. It is Virginia Tech’s second building to be awarded the gold certification.

Here is the press release from Virginia Tech.

BLACKSBURG, Va., Jan. 20, 2012 – Virginia Tech’s Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science has been awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification for its ICTAS II building. The certification is established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute and is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
This is Virginia Tech’s first research building to be awarded the Gold certification and only the second building on campus to achieve the Gold certification. The Henderson Hall Renovation and Theatre 101 project received Gold certification in 2010.

“This state-of-the-art research laboratory building is an excellent example of what can be achieved when an owner, such as Virginia Tech, a design firm, SmithGroup, and a construction manager, Skanska USA, work together over the life of a project,” said Joe Hoeflein, capital project manager for the university’s design and construction services in the Department of Facilities Services. “Our team was recognized for using the latest in technology and innovations to build an amazing work place. It truly exceeded our high expectations as well as those of the institute staff.”

“I am proud of the team effort that made this prestigious certification possible,” said Roop Mahajan, director of the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science. “This award carries a special significance since the building was designed for conducting leading-edge research for a sustainable future. Our talented researchers will find this high-performance green building to be conducive to creative research and experiments in a broad range of research areas including environmental biochemistry and pathogen ecology, nanostructures and nano-biology, bio-inspired science and technology, and humanoid hospital.”

“Buildings are a prime example of how human systems integrate with natural systems,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, chief executive and founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council. “The ICTAS II building project efficiently uses our natural resources and makes an immediate, positive impact on our planet, which will tremendously benefit future generations to come.”

“As one of the nation’s leading technological universities, we firmly believe that we must incorporate the emerging green building technologies in our own construction efforts,” said Richard C. Benson, dean of the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, and the chair of the institute’s shareholder committee. “Due to our concern for the well-being of the occupants of the building as well as the need to reduce overall energy costs, we are focused on providing the commonwealth with long-term savings in our environmentally friendly building programs.”

The ICTAS II building incorporates traditional Hokie Stone and pointed arches and an interior notable in the extensive use of recycled wood products and exposed fittings, said Mahajan. The building opened in January 2011.

The Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science is a premier interdisciplinary research institute located at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. The core mission of the institute is to promote, stimulate, and catalyze interdisciplinary and collaborative research at the confluence of engineering, the physical sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and medicine. The Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science is realizing this mission by harnessing and leveraging the collective talents of Virginia Tech faculty, staff and students and nurturing them in the development and promotion of high-quality and internationally competitive research initiatives that are responsive to societal needs. Strategic research initiatives in nanoscale science and engineering, molecular and cellular biology, sustainable development including energy, water and renewable materials, and cognition and communication have been identified in pursuit of this mission.