SCORE! GRCC Construction Trades Students Hit Gold; Second LEED Building Award in One Week; Third for Year

07.14.2010 – For the second time this week, GRCC, in partnership with Habit for Humanity of Kent County, has been informed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) that a house remodeled by GRCC students has earned LEED Gold status. The two houses that earned USGBC recognition this week are at 735 Crofton SW and 905 Logan SE.

A third home built by the Green Construction Remodeling class, 756 Hogan SW, also received LEED Gold earlier this year.

“We’re just doing our part to prepare our students to work in Grand Rapids, the city with the most green buildings per capita in the U.S.,” said lead instructor on the Logan St. house, Keith Ferguson, smiling as he showed the latest LEED letter to colleague Duane McIntyre, who led the class that built the Crofton St. home.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally recognized green building certification system, started in 1998 by the USGBC, that standardizes measurement of energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, stewardship of resources and other sustainability goals.

The GRCC-Habitat Kent partnership, which began in 2009, offers a win-win-win opportunity:

1.      GRCC Construction Trades students get hands-on, green building and remodeling experience

2.      Habitat Kent is able to produce more houses sooner

3.      A local family gets their first real home – an energy efficient home.

GRCC Job Training is proud to offer two classes that focus on “green” construction practices. The Residential Construction program, led by Duane McIntyre, builds LEED certified homes from the ground up. The Green Construction Remodeling program, led by Keith Ferguson, remodels existing homes.

Grand Rapids Community College, established in 1914, offers both liberal arts and workforce development degrees, classes and training. GRCC holds classes on the downtown Grand Rapids campus as well as seven community campuses throughout Kent and Ottawa counties. Enrollment is 30,000.