Gustavus Adolphus's Beck Academic Hall Earns LEED Platinum

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Beck Academic Hall at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, has earned LEED Platinum certification.

The three-story, 125,000-square-foot academic building was constructed in 2010 by Kraus-Anderson Construction Company. The building exceeds State of Minnesota Sustainable Building 2030 targets, and is modeled to save 44 percent more energy and 30 percent more water than typical code requires.

Designed by BWBR Architects, highlights include locally quarried Kasota limestone that clad much of the exterior and a public atrium that serves as a primary gathering place. The building's atrium helps maximize daylighting strategies, which are augmented by other energy-saving supplements, including a comprehensive solar panel system with both photovoltaic and solar thermal energy.

A rigorous indoor air quality program was supported throughout construction, including wrapping and enclosing ductwork to prevent dust infiltration. In addition, 75 percent of the construction waste was recycled.

Beck Hall houses classrooms, offices and academic departments, including communication studies, economics and management, history, psychology and sociology and anthropology.