The West Center provides educational and recreational opportunities for the campus community in a safe, engaging environment promoting academic growth and healthy lifestyles. A site of recreation, wellness and academic pursuits, the West Center is the home of the Office of Recreational Services, as well as the Department of Physical Education, Sport and Human Performance.
Designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification, the West Center was constructed with and operates using leading-edge environmentally conscious features.
The facility includes bike racks, showers and changing rooms to encourage walking or cycling to class and "Energy Star" compliant roofing that reduces effects of the "heat island" effect.
At least 50% of the building materials contain high-recycled content. A t minimum, 20% of the building materials were manufactured locally or regionally, and 75% of the construction waste was diverted from local land fills. Recycling efforts exist on all floors of the facility, with designated collections of paper, glass, cardboard and aluminum.
The combination daylight and occupancy sensors in offices and classrooms help to further reduce the use of artificial light throughout the facility, which greatly reduces the need for air conditioning and allows for a smaller mechanical system.
The pool's water reclaim and reuse strategy saves approximately 200,000 gallons of water annually. Low-flow plumbing fixtures also assist in the saving of over 400,000 gallons (35% reduction) of water per year.