Cal Poly Pomona is aiming to enhance its legacy in sustainability and green building as another construction project alters the campus landscape.

With six buildings and a parking structure already earning accolades and certifications for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the new Student Services Building (SSB) and the under-construction Student Housing Replacement Project are expected to expand the impressive roster of LEED-certified facilities.

The visual reminders of green building and sustainability will help usher in Earth Week activities on campus, which will run from Monday, April 22, through Friday, April 26. Events aimed at promoting sustainability and the conservation of resources will be staged by campus groups and departments.

"Sustainability is one of the core values of the university, and students are reminded of that every time they use an LEED-certified building," said Monika Kamboures, the university's sustainability coordinator. "Students see this philosophy in action, so it brings the chapters of a textbook to life."

The SSB is anticipated to earn LEED Platinum certification, the highest certificate level, for features that include water-use reduction mechanisms, use of regional building contents, renewable-energy measures, energy-efficient devices and light-pollution reduction measures. The SSB would be first building on campus to earn LEED Platinum status.

The Student Housing Replacement Project, which features two-eight-story residence halls, a dining commons and a community garden, also is expected to earn LEED certification, but the level will not be determined until after construction is completed. The project is scheduled to open in 2020.

The LEED-certified facilities are:

• The Collins College of Hospitality Management expansion, which opened in spring 2016, earned LEED Gold certification. The expansion features two wings with shaded areas that produce cooler environments and LED lighting to reduce energy consumption. Other sustainability efforts include restoration of half the project site by replanting the native flora, the incorporation of natural lighting into the design, and the use of water-efficient fixtures.
• The Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex (BRIC), which was awarded with LEED Gold certification for the high level of environmental sustainability used in its construction. The BRIC features efficient ventilation, natural daylighting from tubular skylights and low-flow plumbing fixtures.
• Parking Structure 2, which became the first parking facility in California to earn a certificate from Parksmart for sustainability and methods that promote green building practices. Parksmart is a component of the LEED rating system. The facility opened in October 2017.
• The three-building College of Business of Administration complex received an LEED Silver certification. The complex opened in September 2012.
• Phase 2 of the 150-unit Residential Suites was awarded an LEED Silver certificate when it opened in 2011. The complex houses 600 students near the core of campus.
• Southern California Edison Phase 4 earned both Gold and Silver LEED certification in 2016.
• I-Poly High School, which earned LEED Silver certification, opened in 2012.

Cal Poly Pomona was listed in the 2018 edition of The Princeton Review Guide to 375 Green Colleges.