The Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center was awarded LEED Gold from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green-building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence. Through design, construction and operations practices that improve environmental and human health, LEED-certified buildings, including the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center, are helping to make the world more sustainable.
“Achievement of LEED Gold marks a significant milestone for RISE Center,” said project lead Mike Lam, senior vice president of Hunt Companies Hawaiʻi. “Creation of a sustainable facility reflects the vision of the public-private partnership team, who were committed to developing a 21st century facility with a reduced carbon footprint that offers a healthy indoor environment for the students, educators and community members who use it every day.”
By designing to a LEED Gold standard, the University of Hawaiʻi, UH Foundation and Hunt Companies Hawaiʻi developed a cutting-edge project that features:
- More than 30% reduction in energy consumption through the installation of LED lighting, efficient HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems and equipment, a 104-kilowatt photovoltaic system and a solar water-heating system that measures 60 square meters;
- More than 30% reduction in indoor water use due to low-flow fixtures and other water-efficient technologies;
- More than 75% of construction waste diverted from landfills through aggressive recycling and reuse; and
- Low-emission and/or non-toxic materials used throughout the design and construction process.
The LEED Gold certification process required a comprehensive third-party review of the project, evaluating it on nine elements including indoor environmental quality, water efficiency, sustainability of the site, transportation, energy and atmosphere, and materials and resources.
“RISE’s LEED Gold certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. “LEED was created to make the world a better place and revolutionize our buildings and communities by providing everyone with access to healthy, green and high performing buildings. RISE is a prime example of how the innovative work of project teams can create local solutions that contribute to making a global difference.”
Housing, entrepreneurship, innovation
The $70 million live-learn-work RISE Center opened to its first UH student-residents in August 2023. It was the first new UH student housing in 15 years, successfully repurposing the landmark 1930s Charles Atherton House building into a state-of-the-art modern institutional facility flanked by two new six-story student residential wings. This first-of-its-kind entrepreneurship-and-innovation center for Hawaiʻi is located on the corner of Metcalf Street and University Avenue at the flagship UH Mānoa campus.
“This LEED Gold certification underscores our commitment to environmental sustainability,” said John Han, vice president for administration and chief financial officer at UH Foundation. “RISE was designed with the intent to have a smaller environmental footprint by reducing carbon emissions, enhancing energy efficiency, and safeguarding the health and environment of the project’s surroundings.”
The Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center has garnered local and national accolades since first opening, including the CoStar Group’s Redevelopment of the Year in its 2024 Impact Awards Hawaiʻi program, the Hawaiʻi section of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Grand Overall Winner and Best Large Project at its 2024 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Awards and NAIOP Hawaiʻi’s 27th Annual Kukulu Hale Public/Government Project Award.
In 2019, Hunt Companies Hawaiʻi, UH and the UH Foundation entered into a public-private partnership (P3) to design, build and finance RISE—the first P3 for the university. It is fully funded with private, non-taxpayer money.
Following RISE and set to open in fall 2025 is the Hale Haukani graduate students and faculty housing facility on Dole Street.
