Salk Hall renovations earn LEED Platinum certification

Pitt has earned its first LEED Platinum certification — the highest honor of its kind for sustainable building — on the $72 million renovation of Salk Hall.

The certification encompasses floors 5 to 11 and some areas of the second, third and fourth floors. The renovation completely revamped the School of Pharmacy space as well as some areas for the School of Dental Medicine.

Upgrading the existing 82-year-old building was just one part of the project’s green efforts. More than 90 percent of construction and demolition waste was diverted from landfills. Compared to similar buildings, the Salk Hall renovation also reduced water use by 36.8 percent.

High solar-reflective roofs, which reject heat absorption, and energy efficient HVAC systems were installed to keep temperatures in the building cool.

The project earned Pitt its 17th certification from LEED, which provides third-party validation of the sustainability of a building’s design, construction, operations and maintenance.

Pittwire