Green Buildings

Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) (right) with Kristie Mahoney, director of facilities (FACS) and Alan Mathios, dean of Human Ecology (HUMEC).
Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founder of the U.S. Green Building Council (right) displays the LEED Certification for Human Ecology with Kristie Mahoney, director of facilities (left) and Alan Mathios, former dean of Human Ecology (center).

Green Buildings on Campus

Cornell designs and operates high-performance campus buildings to reduce carbon impact and model sustainable, healthy environments for work and life. Our building and design policies advance sustainable construction and maintenance. 

Since implementing the policy for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver buildings in 2008, Cornell has certified 33 green buildings on campus, including 5 Platinum, 18 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Certified LEED Buildings.  Green buildings create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving spaces for Cornell researchers, staff, and students to perform their best.  Far beyond just energy efficiency, our green buildings feature sustainable landscape design, human equality integration, alternative transportation hubs, and more. 

Find Green Buildings on the Map

View all green buildings on the Campus Sustainability Map. 
A list of the buildings and locations is also listed below.

How to use the map

  • Use the upper left icon to toggle on the legend

  • Toggle layers on and off - green buildings are listed with the yellow, building shape

  • Click on any icon on the map to see more information about it


Newest Green Buildings

The newly renovated atrium of the Vet School
 

College of Veterinary Medicine Center Expansion

A new green "living room" for the Vet School

Street view of the Small Animal Community Practice
 

Small Animal Community Practice

Serving the community in this more efficient space

The courtyard of Hughes Hall, showing the stone exterior
 

Hughes Hall

Highly efficient housing for Law students


All Green Buildings on Campus

Alice Cook house on West Campus
 

Alice H. Cook House

First residence hall in New York State to receive LEED® certification

Street view of Gates Hall
 

Bill & Melinda Gates Hall

Angular shades block or absorb heat-inducing sunlight at differing times of year

Green roof on the Botanic Garden Nevin Welcome Center
 

Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center

Solar thermal array on green roof provides hot water and radiant heating 

Central Energy Plant roof with solar thermal array

 

Combined Heat & Power Plant

Rooftop solar thermal and a large rock basin to store energy

Fernow Hall

 

Fernow Hall

Rain garden reclaims water, accessible green roof, and rooftop PV solar array

Human Ecology Building

 

Human Ecology Building

Platinum Building. Over 1/3 recycled content was used in building material

Kimball Hall

 

Kimball Hall

Innovative solar wall, 90% of occupants have access to natural light

Klarman Hall

 

Klarman Hall

Building built around a building with solar, green roof, energy reduced 55%

Law school addition with green roof

 

Law School Learning Center

Rainfall and snowmelt is collected at the site and is infiltrated back into the soil

Students study in the Marriot Learning Center
 

Marriot Learning Center

Furnished with donated chairs, tables and library supplies

Face of Martha Van Renssalaer Hall
 

Martha Van Rensselaer

Renovations on the inside are to LEED standards while the outside looks remain the same

University Ave passing under the Milstein Hall overhang.
 

Milstein Hall

The building's innovative design is studied by Architecture students

Three buildings on Cornell Tech's campus

Cornell Tech NYC

Some of the largest Net-Zero Energy buildings in the US

Entrance to the Diagnostic Laboratory tucked between newly planted trees.
 

Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory

Sustainability is carried through to the practices of the laboratory as well

The glass facade of the Physical Sciences Building lit up in the evening.
 

Physical Sciences Building

Lots of glass on all sides lets in natural light during the day

The outside view of Riley-Robb Hall

Riley-Robb

The first campus renovation project to earn LEED Certification

Stocking Hall at night
 

Stocking Hall

Installed fixtures reduce energy consumption by 46%

The teaching dairy barn behind a tree
 

Teaching Dairy Barn

Surrounding land was converted to wetlands to control runoff

Warren Hall building and landscaping
 

Warren Hall

Renovation of a historic building with no increase in energy use

Street view of Belfer Research Building
 

Weill Medical Belfer Research Building

Greenery is incorporated into the NYC building face

Dome buildings of Cornell Medical College in Qatar
 

Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar

The outer walls, made of glass fiber reinforced concrete, absorb heat to keep indoors cooler

A woman walking down the sidewalk on Tower Road passing Weill Hall

Weill Hall

Energy efficiency results in saving over 6,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year

Many windows covering Upson Hall
 

Upson Hall

Highest energy savings for a LEED building on campus