Campus Awarded First LEED Platinum Certification for Charles David Keeling Apartments

New housing at UC San Diego has students seeing green. The newly completed Charles David Keeling apartments at Revelle College have been Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum certified––a first for any structure on campus, and a first for any residential housing building in the entire University of California system.

“This is a great achievement that reflects UC San Diego’s broad goal of becoming one of the most sustainable campuses in the country,” said Mark Cunningham assistant vice chancellor of Housing and Dining at UC San Diego. “But building the green buildings is only one part of a complete story, with the other part being the students and staff embracing, living and working in a sustainable way––from education to action, day in and day out, there is a constant effort to bring our sustainable values forward in all that we do.”

The Keeling apartments’ sustainable features pay homage to their namesake, the first scientist to record the rise of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. The energy-efficient apartments house 510 beds and feature solar panels that allow residents to bathe with water heated by sunlight instead of gas or electricity. Residents can also control heat through shading and through naturally assisted kitchen and bathroom exhausts.

All of UC San Diego’s new housing features drought-tolerant landscape, natural ventilation, solar panels and recyclable building materials, helping the new buildings earn LEED gold certification or higher. The projects are consistent with UC San Diego’s long-range goal of providing housing to 50 percent of all of its students.

In addition, each resident receives a reusable recycling bag and refillable water bottle upon moving in.