If students have ever wondered about that modern structure with the wing-like roof, amid the ponds on the east side of I-15 in Kaysville, it is the Wetland Discovery Point (WDP).

Located at the Utah Botanical Center (UBC), this is the crown jewel in USU’s growing collection of green-built buildings. Excavation for the 3,200-square-foot structure began in May 2008 and USU took ownership of the building in February 2009. Dave Anderson, director of UBC, said it was constructed to meet rigorous standards, earning it an internationally-recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, at a cost of $1.7 million.

LEED is a point-based system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2000 to measure how environmental-friendly a structure is. Construction projects earn LEED points for satisfying specific green-building criteria in six LEED credit categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation in Design. Certification rankings represent increasingly energy-wise design and construction beginning with certified followed by silver, gold and platinum. Anderson said WDP is the only publicly owned platinum LEED certified building in Utah. Privately owned buildings are the Swaner EcoCenter in Park City and Daybreak in South Jordan.

All future USU buildings will be built according to LEED silver requirements or better. That is the standard that Utah adopted earlier this year for all public buildings. Stanley Kane, university architect and director of Facilities Operations at USU, said the USTAR Health Sciences Center currently under construction at USU’s Innovation Campus is aiming for a gold rating. Both WDP and USTAR were planned before Utah made LEED silver certification a minimum requirement. The donors wanted the national recognition that the LEED rating brings.

According to UBC’s Web site, WDP is UBC’s newest site for educational courses and field trips for the adults and thousands of school children who visit the center each year to learn about the importance of conservation and wetland ecosystems. It joins The Utah House – another UBC green building demonstrating how a typical single-family home can have minimal impact on the environment – the Varga Arboretum, greenhouses and demonstration gardens on 100 acres – including 25 acres of open water – that offer learning opportunities for Utahns to be excellent stewards of the land and its resources.

WDP has numerous examples of cutting-edge sustainable features. Beginning with the striking roof design, Jayne Mulford, coordinator at the UBC, explained that “the angled pitch of the wings directs rainwater to a central gutter that empties the water into the pond at one end and to a 6,500-gallon capacity above-ground cistern at the other. Water from the tank is then used to flush the toilets within the facility.”

The attractively weathered decking surrounding the building is constructed with Trestlewood. According to the UBC Web site, the timbers were reclaimed from the Lucin Cutoff railroad trestle that once crossed Great Salt Lake. Aside from being part of local history and also highly rot-resistant, the reclaimed wood reduces the need to harvest new wood. The decking is a work in progress and is designed to eventually extend out over the pond.

Entering the building, individuals may notice the strategically oriented south-facing windows which let in low-angled winter sunlight; in the summer, the wings shade the building from the higher-angled sun.A 24-inch thick Trombe wall, named for the Frenchman who developed it in 1956, absorbs the free energy and radiates heat throughout the rest of the space, well past daylight hours. A picturesque metal wall mural, commissioned by renowned a local artist and USU associate professor of graphic design, Bob Winward, depicts the wetland’s ecosystem, specific to the local flora and fauna.

Mulford said there is an accessible restroom that includes a shower. Mulford said not only does WDP exhibit sustainable building practices but also impacts how people use the building.

“So instead of driving a car to work, an employee can ride his or her bike,” he said.

There is also a mechanical room, which is a maze of pipes and pumps, whirring and hissing. Dave Anderson, director of UBC, is able to monitor and adjust mechanical functions from his campus office in Logan. The building’s space-age automated lights sense someone entering a room and turn themselves on. Louvered windows open and close to create a healthy air flow. A tracking solar collecting panel follows the direction of the sun throughout the day to maximize its capture of the free energy.

Finishes in the building are made out of recycled material, for instance the counter in the bathroom is called Paperstone, made of recycled paper products. Carpets are made from recycled plastic bottles. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are in every lighting fixture and all of the appliances are Energy Star rated and in the Utah House. There are many other eco-friendly features, for more information go to www.utahbotanicalcenter.org.

The Web site describes the resource-saving features of The Utah House as well, which are perhaps more applicable to the average citizen. Many of the green features are ones people can bring to their homes, minimizing the energy and water usage and waste.

In January 2007, USU President Stan Albrecht signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. This established USU among the first schools in the nation as voicing a commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, with the aim of achieving climate neutrality. Having buildings that use minimal amounts of resources goes a long way toward realizing this commitment.

Anderson said WDP uses at least 65 percent less energy than a traditional building and with the pending purchase of additional solar panels, it is expected to use little to no electricity from the power grid. He said to further reduce carbon emissions, USU encourages students, faculty and the public to utilize mass transit, carpool or ride bikes to campus and to also recycle as much waste as possible. The Facilities department is actively engaged in making improvements to the university’s grounds and buildings to support this commitment. He said not only does USU participate in lessening its impact on the environment, but it promotes this vision as one that others can take on.

Utah has consistently grown year after year, and all of its inhabitants rely on the same amount of finite resources, which people must also share with their native wildlife.

Anderson said, “Population projections for the future are significant and that means a higher demand on the resources we have. We can’t just stick our heads in the sand and say we don’t want anybody else to move here.”

Fortunately, Anderson said many great minds at USU are working with public and private enterprises to solve the issues. WDP is specifically focused on effectively managing waterways and the lands that immediately surround them.

“This is a very limited resource in the desert climate of Utah.”

Mike Dietz, USU assistant professor, and director of The Utah House, is conducting research at the UBC ponds on water quality and the impact citizens have on it. His research and that of others will ensure safe, clean water for residents, birds, fishes, bugs and plants. Dietz is also a member of the Sustainable Council at USU, chaired by College of Natural Resources Dean Nat Frazer, and he said he encourages students to join the Student Engagement Committee that works along with the council.

“The biggest thing that a student can do is to make themself aware. There are some great things happening on this campus that you can be apart of that really make a difference,” Dietz said.

WDP fulfills all three main intentions of the UBC: to conserve resources, to provide entertainment and recreation and to educate through demonstration and research.

– tam.r@aggiemail.usu.edu