In October, Southface Institute leadership toured Spelman College’s historic campus with Art Frazier (Director of Facilities), Iesha Baldwin (Sustainability Coordinator), and Karringtyn Johnson (Student Associate). The tour focused on understanding the college’s new construction and sustainable operations progress along with discovering strategies to support student sustainability initiatives and operations and maintenance (O&M) best practices with the BIT Building platform. One highlight of the tour was the historic Sisters Chapel, dedicated in 1927, that had the Harreld-James pipe organ on display.
Spelman College is a sustainability leader among Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and has made great strides in green building construction, energy efficiency, and campus engagement with sustainability. Spelman College has the first campus building (The Suites) to implement features following a green building rating system. The college, which requires all new construction and restoration projects to be LEED Silver equivalent, exhibits two LEED Gold BD+C certificates recognizing the Wellness Center at Read Hall and the Laura Spelman Hall.
Spelman’s commitment to green buildings has yielded utility cost savings and improvements in building performance. The Social Justice Fellows program and the ongoing construction of the Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation and the Arts also highlight the college’s commitment to environmental justice programs and interdisciplinary collaboration in the HBCU network.
The Southface team is looking forward to continuing our collaboration with Spelman College and supporting its long-standing commitment to environmental justice and improved conditions in the built environment.
