Class addressing "green" building

Trine's Lindquist applying certification to course work

 

Trine University students will learn about “green” building techniques this fall, thanks to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited professional (AP) status earned by assistant professor Dr. Will Lindquist in the Reiners Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering. Lindquist will use the certification to strengthen the department’s materials course, which he will teach.

The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system is applied as a voluntary, consensus-based national standard used to design high-performance sustainable buildings. The overall goal is to establish a quantifiable standard of measurement to define “green buildings,” reward building owners who seek certification, and encourage the construction of green buildings. 

LEED AP’s are distinguished as building professionals with the knowledge and skills to successfully steward the LEED certification process. LEED AP’s have demonstrated a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles and the LEED rating system. The AP program was launched in 2001.

 

“The rating system covers a number of disciplines, but my primary focus will be on how concrete, timber, and steel can be utilized to help achieve LEED certification,” Lindquist said of his application for AP certification. “This type of work will fit perfectly into the civil engineering materials course I'm teaching this coming semester. I expect that most courses will also include at least a short explanation of the system.”

As environmental concerns continue to receive a strong governmental focus, LEED AP certification will become more and more relevant to the construction industry. “The process is voluntary, but many owners and developers are choosing to seek certification to minimize the environmental impact of their building,” Lindquist said. “In addition, many government projects are beginning to require certification, and I expect the demand for LEED certified buildings to continue to increase in the next several years.”

 Applying the LEED rating system to his coursework equips Lindquist’s civil and environmental engineering students with the most up-to-date information and standard to take into their future workplaces.

Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. David Finley called Dr. Lindquist a valuable addition to the Reiners Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering as Lindquist prepares for his first semester at Trine this fall.