Ringling College’s commitment to sustainable practices and green initiatives
Ringling College is dedicated to pursuing sustainability and having a green campus—from sustainability-built and LEED-certified buildings to electric vehicle charging stations and Florida-friendly landscaping.
The College was selected for the Princeton Review’s 2024 list of Green Colleges. The College is one of only two art schools and AICAD institutions to make the national list of environmentally responsible colleges.
Sustainable Buildings
Every new building has the goal of becoming LEED Certified, growing the list of buildings that can already claim the certification: the Larry R. Thompson Academic Center, Alfred R. Goldstein Library, the Richard and Barbara Basch Visual Arts Center, Bridge Apartments and Greensboro Hall, and the Cunniffe Commons dining facility.
LEED projects are responsible for diverting over 80 million tons of waste from landfills. Compared to the average commercial building, LEED Gold buildings in the General Services Administration’s portfolio consume a quarter less energy and generate 34% lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The College continues to expand its use of solar energy. Cunniffe Commons houses 150 solar panels on its roof and in-house coolers for chilled water. It also employs state-of-the-art waste technology that breaks down food waste using bacteria that mirror a whale’s stomach, inspiring its name, the Orca.
Sustainable Landscape
The Facilities and Ground Maintenance departments worked with landscape architects on low-maintenance plant selections that follow the University of Florida’s Florida-Friendly Landscaping program for the landscaping of new buildings and parking lots. The nine principles of the program are to find the right plant for the right place, water efficiently, fertilize appropriately, mulch, attract wildlife, manage yard pests responsibly, recycle yard waste, reduce stormwater runoff, and protect the waterfront.
Working with a team of aqua engineers assisted in the design and implementation of an irrigation master plan that allows the College to remotely control 22 individual irrigation systems using smartphones and tablets. Smart irrigation systems save water by individually controlling the location, amount, and frequency of watering.
Rainwater management on campus consists of a 25,000-gallon underground storage cistern that captures rainwater runoff. Once collected, a series of pumps move the non-potable water through a chlorination proportioner, which is then reused to flush toilets within our Thompson Academic Building.
They are also integrating a new tree software system from PlanIT Geo to help track the existing campus trees and any new additions that they plant. They are working with arborists to review the trees for health, size, and quantity.
Recycling
The College’s Facilities department is currently overhauling our network of collection bins around campus and adding several locations to increase the ease of contributing to the Ringling recycling program.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
The College is expanding the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations around campus, with a goal of three locations by the end of 2024.
Green Ambassadors
Green Ambassadors is a Ringling College Student Club focused on campus-wide environmental awareness. We advocate for healthier and greener living for students and create spaces for community members to explore how art and design can play a role in creating a more sustainable world. We believe that creatives have the power to become agents of positive change, instead of catalysts for consumption and profit.
Download our recycling posters and door hangers. Contact rcad.greenambassadors@gmail.com for more information.
Our Certifications
STARS Certification
STARS is intended to engage and recognize the full spectrum of colleges and universities—from community colleges to research universities, and from institutions just starting their sustainability programs to long-time campus sustainability leaders.
STARS encompasses long-term sustainability goals for already high-achieving institutions as well as entry points of recognition for institutions that are taking first steps toward sustainability.
LEED Certified
The LEED plaque on a building is a mark of quality and achievement in green building.
Leaders across the globe have made LEED the most widely used green building rating system in the world with 1.85 million square feet of construction space certifying every day. LEED certification provides independent verification of a building or neighborhood’s green features, allowing for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of resource-efficient, high-performing, healthy, cost-effective buildings. LEED is the triple bottom line in action, benefiting people, planet and profit.
LEED certification means healthier, more productive places, reduced stress on the environment by encouraging energy and resource efficient buildings, and savings from increased building value, higher lease rates and decreased utility costs. LEED-certified buildings will directly contribute $29.8 billion to U.S. GDP by 2018.
Gold Rating:
- Larry R. Thompson Academic Center
- Ann and Alfred Goldstein Hall
Silver Rating:
- Alfred R. Goldstein Library
- Richard and Barbara Basch Visual Arts Center
- Greensboro Hall
Certified:
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