University of Denver

Key Project Information Project Title:Frank H. Ricketson, Jr. Law Building
Project Location: Denver, Colorado
Building Type: Academic, 4-stories, 210,000 sq. ft. (19,500 sq. m.)
Recognition Status: LEED for New Construction v2.1 Gold
Occupancy: 730 staff, faculty, and students
DOE Climate Zone: Zone 2 (6,000 HDD, 600 CDD)

Project Overview

Frank H. Ricketson, Jr. Law Building — Denver, Colorado

Reducing environmental impact and prioritizing occupant comfort were prerequisites for one of the nation’s top environmental and natural resource law schools. The University of Denver’s College of Law facility conforms to required university aesthetics while setting new standards for campus construction, through:

• Extensive daylighting
• Energy efficient lighting with control systems
• Efficient water fixtures
• Reuse of infiltrated groundwater for irrigation
• Local materials
• Diversion of construction waste

Results

“That whole package made a tremendous amount of sense to people. And at the end of the day we never have regretted it for a minute. It was one of the best things we’ve ever done.” — Mary Ricketson, Former Dean, University of Denver College of Law The diligent use of recycling, regional materials, waste management, and energy and water conservation transformed an ordinary campus construction project into a model of resource efficiency. Energy efficiency measures helped to reduce annual building energy costs by 39 percent, while water efficient fixtures helped to reduce annual building water consumption by 39 percent. Compared to a similar University of Denver building, the College of Law is currently saving the University over US$111,000 annually in utility costs (electricity, gas, water, and sewer).