As state funding decreases for state colleges and universities, architects and space planners have the added challenge of revising how existing buildings are used and how to get the most out of its square footage. On today’s episode of the AEC podcast, we talk to two architects from the University of Missouri about the school’s emphasis on sustainability and how it leads the way in LEED certifications: Gerald Morgan, Campus Facilities Director of Space Planning & Management, and Chris Wilson, Sustainable Design and Construction Program Manager.

“I’d say over the last five to 10 years, we’ve started to recognize that we have to better utilize existing space because we could see the handwriting on the wall,” says Gerald Morgan, who’s helped lead campus facilities management at the University of Missouri for 25 years. “That’s the lack of funding. But we’ve been forced to be even more creative than we have in the past.”

But it’s not just university administration that’s interested in careful use of resources; Students are keenly interested as well. “Students end up driving some of the sustainability features that we end up putting into buildings,” said Chris Wilson, whose environmental design background helps Missouri focus on smart sustainability campus-wide. “They push the university to get these things done.”

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