campus Green building Tour
Green Buildings on Campus
The Colorado School of Mines campus features a variety of certified green buildings by the U.S. Green Building Council. These buildings — ranging from residence halls to academic buildings — have green building ratings ranging from LEED Platinum (highest level) to LEED Silver for building design and construction and help to improve the campus sustainability. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the world’s most widely used green building rating system for commercial building sustainability.
Click through the options below to discover some of the most unique LEED certified buildings on the Mines campus!
LEED Certified Buildings
Spruce Hall -- LEED Platinum
Spruce Hall is a new residence hall at Mines. It was certified LEED Platinum by the US Green Building Council in July 2021. To learn more, visit USGBC’s project site. The building architect also wrote a feature story.
Jackson Street Residence Hall -- LEED Platinum
The Jackson Street Residence Hall is a new residence hall at Mines. It was certified LEED Platinum by the US Green Building Council in December 2020. Among the many green features is a large solar array on the roof. To learn more, visit USGBC’s project site.
Beck Venture Center -- LEED Gold (pending certification)
The Beck Venture Center was completed in 2024. To learn more, read Venture Center. To learn more about its LEED certification features, visit USGBC’s project site.
Labriola Innovation Hub -- LEED Gold (pending certification)
The Labriola Innovation Hub was completed in 2024. To learn more, read the Mines article about the complex. To learn more about its LEED certification features, visit USGBC’s project site.
Elm Hall -- LEED Gold
Elm Hall is the most recently completed dorm on the Colorado School of Mines Campus. Elm Hall currently houses Mines Market, the largest cafeteria on campus and features a beautiful sky bridge connecting the East and West sides of the building.
To learn more about Elm Hall, visit here.
For more information about the sustainability measures implemented in Elm Hall, visit here.
McNeil Hall -- LEED Gold
McNeil Hall and parking garage received a LEED Gold rating from the USGBC in Feb. 2022. This building has classrooms with state-ot-the-art technology, beautiful views, and a parking garage with solar panels on the top level. For more details about its green features, visit the USGBC LEED scorecard. OZ Architecture also has a feature story on their website about this building.
Brown Hall -- LEED Gold
Brown hall is one of the largest academic buildings on the Colorado School of Mines Campus. Currently, Brown Hall houses the Computer Science Department, Mechanical Engineering Department, Electrical Engineering Department, and Mining Engineering Department.
To learn more about Brown Hall, visit here.
For more information about the sustainability measures implemented in Brown Hall, visit here.
Starzer Welcome Center -- LEED Gold
Starzer Welcome Center is the first building that prospective students see when they come to visit the Mines campus. The Admissions Office and Mines Foundation currently preside in Starzer and help to truly welcome all newcomers to the lovely Mines campus.
To learn more about Starzer, visit here.
For more information about the sustainability measures built into Starzer, visit here.
CoorsTek Center -- LEED Silver
CoorsTek’s and the Coors family’s funding, in conjunction with a $14.6 million grant from the state of Colorado, enabled the construction of the 95,000-square-foot CoorsTek Center for Applied Science and Engineering, a world-class facility that supports a broad range of academic and research activities on the Mines campus as well as serves as a focal point for the CoorsTek-Mines research partnership.
To learn more about the CoorsTek Center, visit here.
For more information about the sustainability measures implemented in CoorsTek Center, visit here.
Maple Hall -- LEED Silver
Maple Hall is the first new residence hall to be built on the Colorado School of Mines campus since 1978. Maple Hall includes indoor bike and equipment storage and a kitchen and event room.
To learn more about Maple Hall, visit here.
For information about the sustainability measures implemented in Maple Hall, visit here.
Marquez Hall -- LEED Silver
Marquez Hall is one of the most recently completed buildings on the Colorado School of Mines campus. Marquez Hall houses the Petroleum Engineering Department on campus and its unique front atrium is the home to several informal banquets on campus.
To learn more about Marquez Hall, visit here.
For more information about the sustainability measures built into Marquez Hall, visit here.
Student Wellness Center -- LEED Silver
In the spirit of Dr. Wright’s legacy, the Wellness Center is home to several offices that provide health related services to Mines students. Offices located in the Wellness Center are the Student Health Center, Counseling Center, Dental Clinic, Disability Support Services, Title IX Office and Insurance Office.
To learn more about the Student Wellness Center, visit here.
For more information about the sustainability implemented in the Student Wellness Center, visit here.
TARGET LEED GOLD – UNDER CONSTRUCTION
- Early Childhood Education Center (Mines Park)
- New Classroom/Parking Garage II
- Beck Venture Center
- Labriola Innovation Hub
- Residence Hall 7 (19th street)
These new buildings are designed to use significantly less energy, geothermal energy systems, and be solar ready for future installations.