For her final architecture project at the University of Florida, Alexa Jewel Lapid is designing a cocoon-inspired house for an introvert.  She is planning to utilize green features of architecture like glass windows to absorb sunlight for her client’s sanctuary.

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“You’re housed in this little thing hidden from the outside, but still allowing light to come in,” the architecture student said.

 

Throughout her four years at the University of Florida, Lapid said that the architecture and sustainabilities department have worked closely together resulting in several design projects that are environmentally friendly. The University of Florida recently announced they plan to become carbon neutral by 2025.

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2025 is also a benchmark year for other colleges and universities across the country to meet their sustainability goals. Yale University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Southern California established sustainability initiatives for their campuses.

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A focus on quality,well-lit environments in green design allows for less energy consumption. Lighting design is an integral part of a building or a space for people that interact with it and the intersection of sustainability and lighting moves forward towards a greater consideration of health and wellness.

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For example, one fluorescent light bulb contains around five milligrams of mercury. While it is a relatively small amount, maximized mercury exposure can result in serious health implications on organs like the brain and lungs. Several colleges have already planned how to design their schools with energy-efficient light sources with LED lights.

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The University of Michigan-Dearborn saves about $21,000 a year with its LED-lighting-only switch. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign saves $41,000 annually when their Krannert Center changed to solely LED fixtures.

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To architecture students like Lapid, colleges creating greener buildings showcases the future of the architectural field and “thinking more about how [architecture] is affecting the environment.” Architecture will evolve passed being seen as something rather than a place for someone that will be interacted with or even lived in.

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“I think the goal is to create architecture that lasts longer than the person who designed it,” she said.