Located at the flagship University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa campus, the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center was recently awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). A first-of-its-kind for Hawai‘i, the six-story facility integrates an innovation-and-entrepreneurship center with housing for 374 students. The result of a public-private partnership, the facility is a collaborative learning environment where students of all disciplines can explore their passions, solve complex problems, build prototypes, test their ideas, and access resources.
“Achievement of LEED Gold marks a significant milestone for RISE Center,” said project lead Mike Lam, senior vice president of Hunt Companies Hawai‘i. “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 Hawai‘i (UH), UH Foundation, and Hunt Companies Hawai‘i developed a cutting-edge project that features:
- Over 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;
- Over 30% reduction in indoor water use due to low-flow fixtures and other water-efficient technologies;
- Over 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 RISE Center 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.”
The $70 million live-learn-work RISE Center opened – fully occupied – 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 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.”
RISE Center has garnered local and national accolades since first opening; these include the CoStar Group’s Redevelopment of the Year in its 2024 Impact Awards Hawai‘i program, the Hawai‘i Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers’s (ASCE) Grand Overall Winner and Best Large Project at its 2024 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Awards and NAIOP Hawai‘i’s 27th Annual Kukulu Hale Public/Government Project Award.
In 2019, Hunt Companies Hawai‘i, UH and the UH Foundation entered into a public-private partnership to design, build and finance RISE Center – a first for the university. It is fully funded with private, non-taxpayer money.
