Tsoi/Kobus & Associates project for Johnson & Wales University achieves LEED Gold status

Tsoi/Kobus & Associates' (TK&A) design of the Cuisinart Center for Culinary Excellence at Johnson & Wales University's Harborside campus has received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The 82,000 s/f Cuisinart Center, a facility supporting 30 teaching labs and classrooms, includes kitchen labs for food ranging from charcuterie to chocolate, wine, micro-brewing, and mixology labs, various types of instructional facilities, administrative offices, and three distinctive dining rooms. "We worked closely with our clients at Johnson & Wales University to ensure that this building would advance their comprehensive, leading-edge culinary curriculum while also setting the tone for future development on the Harborside campus," said Rick Kobus, co-founder and senior principal of Tsoi/Kobus. Sustainable features include expanding green space on-site by more than 50%, dramatically reducing runoff into Narragansett Bay and reducing the heat island effect; providing natural light and views to the exterior for all spaces within the building; incorporating lighting and hood controls that reduce energy consumption; capturing roof rainwater for re-use within the building to flush toilets and provide minimal site irrigation to native plantings; and using low-flow plumbing fixtures and low-VOC interior finishes throughout. During the build phase, more than 90% of construction waste was diverted from landfills, including asphalt from a large parking lot, which was ground up and re-used. Kobus said, "It was essential to all of us that the Cuisinart Center be a thoroughly sustainable and environmentally-sensitive addition to its coastal setting. We set the bar high and are pleased to receive this recognition from the USGBC." Tsoi/Kobus & Associates was founded in 1983 and has since grown to become one of the nation's leading architecture, planning, and interior design firms for college and university, healthcare, science and technology, and commercial real estate projects. The firm's award-winning designs are rooted in solutions that advance clients' strategic goals and missions, and that combine cutting-edge technology with compassion and creativity. TK&A has been recognized by Architectural Record magazine as one of the country's "Best Managed Firms," by Engineering News-Record as one of the top 500 design firms, and by Architecture magazine as one of the "Top 50 Global Giants." The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 80 local affiliates, more than 18,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 155,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students. Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs. The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. More than 32,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising more than 9.6 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 114 countries. By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. USGBC was co-founded by current President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, who spent 25 years as a Fortune 500 executive. Under his 15-year leadership, the organization has become the preeminent green building, membership, policy, standards, influential, education and research organization in the nation.