York Technical College Earns Distinction for Energy and Environmental Design

York Technical College's Anne Springs Close Learning Commons was recently awarded Gold certification from LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for providing a cost-saving and efficient building. LEED is a worldwide and widely used green building rating system used to identify sustainability achievement and leadership.

The Learning Commons is York Technical College’s first certified LEED Gold building and this a huge accomplishment for the College,” said Robby Brown, the director of facilities management at York Tech. “This sets the standard for the College in terms of sustainability in the future.”

South Carolina requires new or renovated state funded buildings to earn a minimum of the LEED Silver standard. The LEED plaque, which will be displayed in the Learning Commons, demonstrates that a building has been built, designed, and is operating as intended.

Named after local philanthropist Anne Springs Close, the Learning Commons is the College’s newest building on campus and opened in January 2020. It houses the library, group study and conference rooms, and student support services such as the College’s Academic Coaching and Tutoring center. Additional amenities include a café, gaming areas, computer work stations, and more.

The Learning Commons is approximately 33,000 square feet. It was designed by Watson Tate Savory Architects and built by Beam Construction Company, Inc.