Upson Hall

LEED Certified Platinum

The entire 160,000-square-foot building was stripped bare to its original concrete frame and completely reconstructed according to modern design standards. The remarkable thing is that the building was partially occupied throughout the entire project, with the building occupants shifting spaces as each phase was completed.

On the LEED-certified scorecard, Upson Hall scored 83 out of 110 possible points. For a full breakdown, review the report on the US Green Buildings Certification (USGBC) website.

Project Highlights

The performance of the newly renovated Upson Hall is truly remarkable. The modeled energy cost reduction shows a savings of 66%, the highest reduction we have seen in a LEED energy model to date here on campus. This is due to many upgrades and innovations, but perhaps the most visible and impressive are the improvements to the building envelope. Upson Hall was historically accented by mustard yellow panels. While indicative of its post World War II construction, the aesthetic didn’t really stand the test of time, especially in a high-tech engineering environment. Gone are the mustard yellow panels (though you may still find homage to the original coloration in the final design), which have been replaced with an innovative terra-cotta building envelope system that balances extensive and highly efficient window systems with a densely insulated wall assembly with an overall average insulation value of R-22. Couple this with a reflective roof system with an insulation value of R-33 and you get a well-balanced watertight shell that reflects summer sun and holds the warmth during the winter.

Check out Upson Hall