Earth-friendly Living and Dining at its Finest!

San Joaquin Villages, the new Portola Dining Commons, and The Club & Guest House Receive LEED Certification

We are excited to share that our newest apartment complex, San Joaquin Villages, and the new Portola Dining Commons received LEED platinum certifications, and The Club & Guest House was certified LEED silver. Portola is one of the first dining commons in the UC System to receive such a distinction.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to promote the construction of sustainable and energy-efficient buildings. Within the certifications, there are four rankings: Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59 points), Gold (60-79 points), and Platinum (80 points and above).

Some of the factors that are considered when assessing a building for certification are: energy and water efficiency; environmental quality; the use of recycled, renewable, and locally available materials; and the way the building and its site interact with the surrounding area. Within each category, points are assigned for the use of different design measures, material choices, or construction practices.

UCSB holds an impressive forty-three LEED certifications (nine of which are HDAE certifications), and has over 2 million square feet of building space under the LEED rating system. We are proud of our contribution to UCSB’s core value of being a sustainable campus! To learn more about HDAE’s sustainability initiatives, please visit our Sustainability web page.

Portola Dining Commons

San Joaquin Villages

The Club & Guest House

pc: Bruce Damonte and Tony Mastres