University Facilities Attend the USGBC-NJ Awards Gala

Montclair State University’s Center for Environmental and Life Sciences (CELS) was awarded an honorable mention in the category Sustainable Schools on May 22, 2019 at the USGBC-NJ Awards Gala. Frank Cunha, III, Montclair State’s Director of Architectural Services, accepted the award on behalf of the University.

CELS creates a transdisciplinary, collaborative environment for the College of Science & Mathematics. The building was conceived as a 21st Century research facility that will drive scientific discovery & technological innovation in the areas of pharmaceutical life sciences & and environmental management/sustainability. Scientists and non-scientists from different disciplines will be able to engage in cooperative research, aspire to a mutual learning process, and conduct transdisciplinary research in a flexible, sustainable environment. The research is intended to be a hybridized form of learning, traditional research, and application with a focus on the sustainable development of these disciplines. The building itself is a teaching tool, achieving an innovation credit for developing an educational program around the sustainable features of the building. The sustainability inherent in Montclair’s campus helped propel this project to a LEED Gold certification, exceeding the Silver level originally anticipated. CELS achieved high performance in Water Efficiency and Indoor Environmental Quality while also improving energy performance and use of sustainable materials.