Missouri Hall awarded LEED® silver certification

The venerable hall, built in 1920, is the first silver-certified building in Columbia, Mo.

Columbia College has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)® silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for the renovation of Missouri Hall. The original approximately 38,000 square foot Missouri Hall was completed in 1920. The $3.9 million green project, designed by Simon Oswald Associates (SOA) in conjunction with CM Engineering and built by Reinhardt/Wilson Construction, is the first in Columbia to receive this level of recognition. A plaque commemorating the certification will be affixed to the exterior soon.

The U.S. Green Buildings Council, a national non-profit organization, grants LEED® certification to buildings that meet standards of sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design. Certified, silver, gold and platinum levels are awarded based on the total number of points earned within each category.

Missouri Hall is only one of two LEED®-certified structures in Columbia, Mo. The other, the city's historic Wabash Station, now the main hub of Columbia Transit, is certified. There are only 18 certified structures in the state of Missouri, 16 silver-certified and four platinum.

Only about 3,400 buildings are LEED®-certified nationwide. Of these, 1,100 have achieved gold certification, the second highest level of certification, behind platinum.

"We are pleased to be recognized for achieving the LEED® silver rating for our new sustainable building, completed on time and on budget," said Bob Hutton, executive director of Administrative Services.

"We took a risk, not when we agreed to design the Missouri Hall renovation, but when we committed to seeking a zero-cost, high-level LEED® certification," said Shelly Simon, SOA architect and principal. "And we did it! Columbia College did not incur any additional costs for the sustainable features incorporated into this project."

Funded by a statewide fund drive (hence its name) headed by the indomitable President Luella St. Clair Moss, the $175,000 hall was hailed as the finest structure in Columbia on opening in 1920. The fundraising effort took seven years; $175,000 is equivalent to almost $2 million today. It held sewing and cooking "laboratories," lecture rooms, a parlor, a 110-woman dormitory and the president's personal apartment. Over the years, the hall gradually gave way to office space. And it began to deteriorate.

Its green transformation took a phased approach which allowed the college to continue operations throughout scheduled sessions and into a transitional phase during the summer months. The new building incorporates modern operational efficiencies and aesthetics without compromising its irreplaceable historic detailing. The hall captures natural daylight, has improved indoor air quality and a controllable thermal level that has created a healthier work environment.

Hutton says the use of environmentally sound paints, glues and other chemicals makes a difference. "LEED® certification isn't just about energy efficiency," Hutton said. "It makes the building better for occupants and for the environment."

See Columbia College's green initiatives.