The United States Green Building Council Virginia announced Davis Hall of William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) won the People’s Choice Award in its 2020 Leadership Awards presentation on June 25. Architects, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, building owners and building occupants comprised the voters who selected the project from a list of 10 finalists during the online ceremony.
Located in Gloucester Point, Virginia, the 32,000-square-foot facility accommodates researchers who were previously scattered across the campus in dilapidated, energy-inefficient buildings. The $11-million project began with a study in 2014 and achieved substantial completion in 2018. William & Mary heralded Davis Hall as the first building on the Gloucester Point campus to achieve certification through the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.
As an institution devoted to marine research and education, VIMS prioritized sustainability from the project’s outset. Moseley Architects designed the facility to minimize its impact to the natural environment, conserve resources and provide a healthy setting for building occupants. Although the team initially planned to pursue LEED Silver certification, it exceeded its goal by earning LEED Gold.
Sustainable design features that contributed to the building’s LEED Gold certification include ample daylighting; energy-efficient LED lighting; low-flow plumbing fixtures that conserve water; a highly efficient HVAC system; architectural sunshades that reduce heat gain; building materials composed of recycled content; bike racks to promote transportation efficiency; landscaping that incorporates the region’s native plants; and rain gardens that minimize run-off.
Moseley Architects’ Director of Sustainability Bryna Dunn noted the award reflects appreciation for the project team’s devotion to its sustainable mission.
“Through the recognition of green building peers and enthusiasts throughout Virginia, winning a People’s Choice Award reaffirms the vision and commitment of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science when they embarked on this high performance project years ago. It has been an honor to work with such a dedicated and creative team on this LEED Gold project,” she said.
Bryna Dunn, Director of Sustainability at Moseley Architects
This award marks the latest accolade in a long line of honors from the USGBC Virginia. Other awards from the organization in recent years include:
- 2018 Leadership Award for Community Champion: Huguenot High School
- 2018 Leadership Award for Virginia Environments: Bow Creek Recreation Center
- 2014 Leadership Award for Institutional Facilities: Rappahannock Shenandoah Warren Regional Jail
- 2013 Leadership Award for Adaptive Reuse Facilities: Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired Administrative Activities Building
The United States Green Building Council ranked Virginia seventh in its 2019 list of “Top 10 States for Green Building” based on gross square footage of LEED-certified space per person. Moseley Architects has advanced the USGBC’s mission through 136 LEED certified projects to date.