The PSU School of Business Karl Miller Center has been awarded the coveted LEED Platinum designation, the top category for sustainable construction. It is a tangible demonstration of the sustainable ethos that has long characterized School of Business students, staff, faculty and our nationally recognized innovative programs and research. The KMC uses resource-efficient features including water conservation, occupancy sensors, and five eco-terraces.
Come experience the KMC all-glass atrium which is five stories high – or 90 feet tall – and features spaces designed for students to gather as a group, study solo or relax between classes. Every floor of the atrium features “work bars,” which are both standing and seated height areas where students get work done.
Five eco-roofs totaling 7,000 square feet provide stormwater management and mitigate urban heat for the downtown area. Sensor-controlled low-flow faucets, waterless urinals, and a highly efficient irrigation system are projected to reduce water use by over 43 percent or 201,000 gallons of water per year.
The new classroom pavilion and atrium are passively-cooled, meaning there is no mechanical air conditioning used in this portion of the building. Instead, these areas use 100 percent natural ventilation, absorbing heat from surrounding spaces and releasing it through automated windows and ceiling fans at the top of the atrium.
The new Karl Miller Center keeps our school at the center of Portland’s business culture as it has been for many decades. It is a bright, collaborative space where we continue to create positive social, ecological, and economic inmpact through inclusive, transformative learning and meaningul research.