Morgan State University Tyler Hall Achieves LEED Gold Certification

The new Morgan State University Calvin & Tina Tyler Hall is LEED Gold certified.

Through a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary approach, the design team holistically studied and evaluated green design strategies to achieve the university’s design, programmatic, and operational goals, while remaining mindful of budget and lifecycle costs.

Highlights of the project’s sustainable features include:

• Green Terrace: A large, landscaped terrace planted with tall grasses and native pollinator species—including Maryland’s state flower, the black-eyed Susan—provides a space for small events and gatherings with panoramic views of the academic quad and the city.
• Daylighting: Ensuring daylight throughout the building and office suites was equitable for all employees was a driving factor behind the building’s layout. Open office space and corridors along the exterior maximize daylight sharing. Private interior offices incorporate glazing to benefit from borrowed light. A central atrium housing meeting and collaboration space filters daylight to offices along the interior. The building also features lighting control sensors that lower building lighting when daylighting is sufficient.
• Materials: 30% of building materials were sourced regionally, including the Eramosa limestone cladding, lowering carbon emissions due to the materials' close proximity. 85% of the construction waste was diverted away from landfills through recycling or reuse, including 992 tons of recycling.

Additional sustainable design features include light-colored roofing materials to minimize heat island effect; energy recovering HVAC systems selected through early energy modeling and lifecycle cost analysis; LED energy-efficient lighting throughout the building; and access to the urban site through alternative transportation, including a new forecourt with bike racks and a pathway along the south side of the building that delivers students from the city bus stop to campus.

Tyler Hall is GWWO’s 10th LEED Gold certified project, and one of over 40 firm projects that have achieved or are designed to achieve LEED Certification. GWWO has repeatedly been named a Top Firm in Sustainability by Architect 50, and has experience with other rating systems including Living Building Challenge, International Green Construction Code, Green Globes, and WELL Building Standard.