BENTONVILLE — NorthWest Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees approved the use of LEED Certification for its health professions building during a meeting Monday.
The $14 million building is in early design stages and is set to be completed by January 2013.
The college's Land Use Committee recommended the action to the board earlier this month.
"We have had two lengthy Land Use meetings where we discussed at length LEED Certification," Joe Spivey, a college trustee and chairman of the committee, said. "I know this was not a recommendation lightly reached."
LEED offers third-party verification that a building was designed using strategies aimed at improving energy savings, water efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions reduction, the U.S. Green Building Council website states. The council, a nonprofit organization, developed the certification.
"We think it fits very well in the image we would like to project," Jim Hessler, the college's associate vice president of operations, said.
The certification has different levels of achievement. The college approved to build at the silver level which will add 1 percent or approximately $120,000 onto the cost of the building, Hessler said.
"We think over the years that it will be well worth it," Hessler said. "Silver is the threshold for grants."
Building with the certification opens the college up to receive some grants that would otherwise be unavailable, Hessler said.
Using more landscaping, better drainage and heating and cooling systems and using recycled items are some things the college can do to receive LEED, Hessler said.
David Swearingen of Crafton Tull has been contracted by the college as an architect for the building.
"I think it is exciting for the college to embark on this process," Swearingen said. "I think this is where the building industry is going. I think this puts the college where it should be."
Board Trustee Mike Shupe said he thinks the certification is a good idea.
"I think this is a step we need to take to say who we are," Shupe said.
The three-story health professions building will be approximately 75,000 square feet. The building will be located on the college's Bentonville campus just east of the Shewmaker Center for Workforce Development.