The City of Boise announced today that the Library! at Cole & Ustick has been awarded a LEED® Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). A plaque recognizing the certification will be presented to Mayor David Bieter at a ceremony at the new library on Tuesday, March 2, at 11:00 a.m. The plaque will be presented by Sharon Patterson, Chair of the Board of the Idaho Chapter of the USGBC.

“As the first city in Idaho to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, Boise has pledged to reduce our carbon emissions and make our public facilities more energy efficient,” Mayor Bieter said. “The Cole & Ustick library – the first new library the City of Boise has ever built, and a tremendously successful addition to West Boise – is a clear demonstration of that commitment.”

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. The Library! at Cole & Ustick received a LEED Gold certification for excellence in indoor environmental quality, energy, lighting, water and material efficiency and sustainable practices.

Indoor environmental quality was considered in the choice of low-emitting glues, paints, carpets and window shades, and a high-efficiency heating and cooling system that monitors air quality. Natural daylight and views were maximized with glass walls and a series of skylights; smart lights, equipped with daylight or motion sensors, operate only when needed.

Recycled and renewable building materials were used throughout the facility, from acoustical insulation made of old blue jeans to renewable cork flooring and wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Outdoors, a water efficient landscape reduces water needs, and two large bioswales capture and filter rainwater runoff.

The City worked with Architects Fletcher Farr Ayotte, Inc., and general contractors Petra, Inc., to design and construct the new library, which opened on June 30, 2009. For more information, visit www.boisepubliclibrary.org or call Library Administration at 384-4238, weekdays. The Library! at Cole & Ustick is located in the Library Plaza at 7557 West Ustick Road.