Columbia University’s First All-Electric Residence Hall at 611 West 112th Street Earns LEED Gold

Columbia University’s first all-electric residence hall at 611 W. 112th Street was awarded LEED® Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), marking the University’s first residence hall to receive LEED recognition. 

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the foremost green building certification program measuring how sustainable a building is in areas including energy, water efficiency, material selection, and indoor air quality.

“The LEED Gold certification for 611 W. 112th Street reflects what can be achieved through sustainable design in a historic context,” said David M. Greenberg, executive vice president of University Facilities and Operations. “By revitalizing the property, we've created a modern, energy-efficient residence hall that supports Columbia's sustainability goals and enhances the undergraduate student living experience.”

611 W. 112th Street earned a LEED Gold rating by utilizing a wide range of sustainable construction and design strategies, such as improving water efficiency, optimizing energy performance, innovative design, and more. Highlights of the sustainable construction and design elements used include:

• A fossil-fuel free building, with an estimated 43 percent reduction in carbon emissions compared to a standard NYC residence hall
• High-efficiency plumbing fixtures that reduce water consumption by 30 percent compared to standard buildings
• Adaptive reuse of a historic building that extended the lifecycle of the building
• Enhanced ventilation and abundant natural daylight for occupant comfort
• High-performance systems, including variable refrigerant flow heat pumps with room-level controls, a dedicated outside air system with energy recovery, CO₂ air-source heat pumps for domestic hot water, and high-performance Low-E windows
• Green roof trays that help reduce the heat island effect, improve insulation performance, and contribute to stormwater management

The project also followed Columbia’s model clean construction program, which prioritizes minimizing environmental and community impacts during construction. Measures included the prioritization of electric equipment over diesel equipment; the use of the latest diesel emission control technology for on road and off road equipment when diesel is required; and other efforts addressing air quality, dust, noise and vibration reduction, and pest management.

Located in the Morningside Heights Historic District, 611 W. 112th Street was built in 1904 and later served as a single-room occupancy hotel before closing in the early 2000s. Columbia purchased long vacant property and completed a comprehensive building-wide renovation and exterior restoration to convert it into an all-electric undergraduate residence hall – all while keeping with the historic district requirements. 

611 W. 112th Street joins a growing list of LEED-certified projects across the University, including Li Lu Law Library, 600 W. 125th Street, Columbia Business School, The Square, The Forum, Jerome L. Greene Science Center, and Lenfest Center for the Arts. Columbia’s overall Manhattanville campus plan has also achieved a LEED-ND Platinum recognition for its environmentally sustainable design – the first higher education institution in the U.S. and the first organization in New York City to receive this designation.