| LEED Rating System: | LEED for Existing Buildings |
| LEED Rating Version: | 2.2 |
| Certification Level: | Gold |
| Month Completed: | 01 |
| Year Completed: | 2011 |
| Client (School/Department): | HBS |
Project Highlights
• 49% reduction in the Chapel’s Energy Use Index (EUI) since May of 2008
• 74% reduction in electric consumption from lighting system upgrade
• 15% of total project costs compensated with rebate money
Project Summary
The Class of 1959 Memorial Chapel is an approximately 5,900 square feet Chapel located on the campus of the Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts. The building is a two-story concrete and copper structure originally constructed in 1992 and contains an indoor garden, Koi pond, and sanctuary. Its simple construction has required few modifications and little upkeep. It is representative of the Business School’s approach to sustainability well before the creation of the LEED rating system. Beginning in June 2008, the LEED for Existing Buildings project was fostered by an upgrade of an existing functional space to an energy efficient gathering place for the greater Harvard Business School community. The building control system was updated from a pneumatic system that ran on compressed air to a direct digital control system that was better suited to modulate the operation of the building’s mechanical equipment based on the fluctuating occupancy of the Chapel. Along with the control system, the Operations staff opted to update the lighting, lighting controls, and ventilation controls. The Harvard University Office for Sustainability and the LEED-EB rating system helped the project team develop sustainability goals, which guided selection of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems installed. The project team was committed to sustainability throughout the realization of the project, and the building has achieved LEED-EB:O+M Gold certification.