The School of Communication and Media building at Montclair State University has achieved LEED certification. It has earned credits for being located near public transportation and services, using water-efficient landscaping and fixtures, recycling collection, prohibiting smoking, controlling indoor pollutants, providing lighting and thermal comfort controls, and implementing a green cleaning program. The building employs strategies like native plantings, low-flow fixtures, occupancy sensors, and certified cleaning products to meet the various LEED requirements.

1. MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY
School of Communication and Media
LEED Certified: Building as a Teaching Tool

2. School of Communication and Media
LEED CREDITS
SSc2: Development Density and
Community Connectivity
SSc4.1: Alternative Transportation: Public
Transportation Access
WEc1: Water Efficient Landscaping
WEc3: Water Use Reduction
MRp1: Storage and Collection of
Recyclables
IEQp2: Environmental Tobacco Smoke
(ETS) Control
IEQc5: Indoor Chemical and Pollutant
Source Control
IEQc6.1: Controllability of Systems:
Lighting
IEQc7.1: Thermal Comfort: Design
IEQc7.2: Thermal Comfort: Verification
IDc1.4: Green Cleaning Program

3. SSc2: DEVELOPMENT DENSITY AND
COMMUNITY CONNECTIVITY
5 Credit Points
Credit Intent:
Channel development to urban areas with existing
infrastructure, protect greenfields, and preserve habitat
and natural resources.
Requirements:
Development Density
• Previously developed site
• In a community with a minimum density of 60,000
square feet per acre net.
OR
Community Connectivity
Construct or renovate a building on a previously developed
site that meets the following criteria:
• Within ½-mile of a neighborhood with average density
of 10 units per acre net
• Within ½-mile of at least 10 basic services
• Has pedestrian access between the building and the
services
¼ MILE ½ MILE

4. SSc2: DEVELOPMENT DENSITY AND
COMMUNITY CONNECTIVITY
5 Credit Points
Basic Services:
- Bank
 Place of Worship
 Convenience Store
 Day Care Center
- Cleaners
- Fire Station
- Beauty Salon
- Hardware Store
- Laundromat
 Library
- Medical/Dental Office
- Senior Care Facility
 Park
- Pharmacy
- Post Office
 Police Department
 School
 Restaurant
- Supermarket
 Theater
 Community Center
 Fitness Center
 Museum
1. Newman Catholic Center
11
14
15
18
4
7
131819
6
12
16
10
17
9
2. Outtakes Convenience Store
3. Champions Day Care Center
4. Sprague Library
5. Montclair Bird Sanctuary
6. University Police
7. College Hall
8. Morehead Hall
11. LHF Studio Theater
12. Alexander Kasser Theater
13. Leshowitz Recital Hall
14. Memorial Auditorium
15. DuMont Television Center
16. Student Center
17. Drop-In Center
18. Panzer Athletic Center
20
5
3
2
9. Stone Hall
10. Red Hawk Diner
19. Sprague Field
20. Yogi Berra Museum
¼ MILE ½ MILE

5. SSc4.1: ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ACCESS
7 Credit Points
Credit Intent:
To reduce pollution and land development impacts
from automobile use.
Requirements:
Rail Proximity
Within ½-mile walking distance of commuter rail, light
rail or subway station.
OR
Bus Proximity
Within ¼-mile walking distance of 1 or more stops for
2 or more public, campus, or private bus lines usable
by building occupants.
NJ TRANSIT Commuter Rail, Montclair-Boonton Line
NJ TRANSIT Bus Route, Buses 11-28 and 191-195
Train Station
Bus Stop
Project Site
¼ MILE ½ MILE

6. WEc1: WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPING
2-4 Credit Points
Credit Intent:
To limit or eliminate the use of landscape irrigation.
Requirements:
Reduce by 50%
Reduce potable water consumption for irrigation by
50% by using any of the following:
- Plant species, native and/or low need
- Irrigation efficiency
- Use of captured rainwater
- Use of recycled rainwater
- Use of water treated and conveyed by a public
agency specifically for non-potable uses.
OR
No Potable Water Use or Irrigation
Use only captured rainwater, recycled wastewater,
recycled graywater.
OR
Install landscaping that does not require permanent
irrigation systems.

7. WEc1: WATER EFFICIENT LANDSCAPING
2-4 Credit Points
Solution:
TREES
• Columnar Red Maple
• Green Giant Arborvitae
SHRUBS
• Climbing Hydrangea
• Henry’s Garnet Sweetspire
• Chinese Lilac
• Korean Spice Viburnum
PERENNIALS AND GROUNDCOVER
• Happy Returns Daylily
• Big Blue Lily Turf

8. WEc3: WATER USE REDUCTION
2-4 Credit Points
Credit Intent:
Increase water efficiency within buildings to reduce the
burden on municipal water supply and wastewater
systems.
Requirements:
Employ strategies that in aggregate use less water than
the water use baseline.
- Commercial Toilets – 1.6 gallons/flush (gpf)
- Commercial Urinals – 1.0 gallons/flush (gpf)
- Commercial Restroom Faucets – 2.2 gallons/minute
at 60 PSI - 0.25 gallons/cycle (metered)
- Commercial Pre-rinse Spray Valves – flow rate ≤ 1.6
gpf

9. WEc3: WATER USE REDUCTION
2-4 Credit Points
Solution:
Install low-flow fixtures throughout the building
resulting in a 35% decrease in the water use annual
volume.

10. MRp1: STORAGE AND COLLECTION
OF RECYCLABLES
Credit Intent:
To facilitate the reduction of waste generated by
building occupants that is hauled to and disposed of in
landfills.
Requirements:
Easily-accessible dedicated area for the collection
recycling for the entire building, at a minimum,: paper,
corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics and metals.

11. MRp1: STORAGE AND COLLECTION
OF RECYCLABLES
Solution:
• Color-coded trash cans to store recycling/waste.
• Recycling and regular waste in different colored
liners
• Recycling and regular waste picked up six days a
week.

12. EQp2: ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO
SMOKE CONTROL
Credit Intent:
To prevent or minimize exposure of building occupants,
indoor surfaces and ventilation systems to
environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).
Requirements:
• Prohibit smoking in the building.
• Prohibit on-property smoking within 25 feet of
entries, outdoor air intakes and operable windows.
• Provide signage to allow smoking in designated
areas or prohibit smoking on the entire property.

13. EQp2: ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO
SMOKE CONTROL
Solution:
Smoking is prohibited in the project building and within 25
feet of entries, outdoor intakes and operable windows.

14. EQc5: INDOOR CHEMICAL AND
POLLUTANT SOURCE CONTROL
1 Credit Point
Credit Intent:
To minimize building occupant exposure to potentially
hazardous particulates and chemical pollutants.
Requirements:
Design to minimize and control the entry of pollutants into
buildings and later cross-contamination of regularly occupied
areas through the use of:
• Permanent entryway systems at least 10 ft long in the
primary direction of travel to capture dirt and particulates.
• Sufficiently exhaust each space where hazardous gases or
chemicals may be present or used to create negative
pressure.
• Ventilation systems that supply outdoor air shall have
particle filters or air cleaning devices that meet certain
minimum criteria

15. EQc5: INDOOR CHEMICAL AND
POLLUTANT SOURCE CONTROL
1 Credit Point
Solution:
• Permanent entry way systems.
• Janitorial closet designed to be exhausted utilizing
negative pressure with respect to adjacent spaces
when the door is closed.
• Outdoor air supply systems serving all regularly
occupied areas are sized to accommodate MERV13
filters. New filters installed after construction and
prior to occupancy.

16. EQc6.1: CONTROLABILITY OF SYSTEMS
LIGHTING
1 Credit Point
Credit Intent:
To provide a high level of lighting system control by individual
occupants or groups in multi-occupant spaces and promote their
productivity, comfort and well-being.
Requirements:
- Provide individual lighting controls for 90% (minimum) of the
building occupants to enable adjustments to suit individual task
needs and preferences.
- Provide lighting system controls for all shared multi-occupant
spaces to enable adjustments that meet group needs and
preferences.

17. EQc6.1: CONTROLABILITY OF SYSTEMS
LIGHTING
1 Credit Point
Solution:
Provide task lighting, scene controllers and occupancy
sensors for classrooms, conference rooms and open
plan workstations.

18. EQc7.1: THERMAL COMFORT
DESIGN
1 Credit Point
Credit Intent:
To provide a comfortable thermal environment that
promotes occupant productivity and well-being
Requirements:
- Design heating, ventilating and air conditioning
(HVAC) systems and the building envelope to meet
the requirements of ASHRAE Standard 55-2004,
Thermal Comfort Conditions for Human Occupancy

19. EQc7.1: THERMAL COMFORT
DESIGN
1 Credit Point
Solution:
• The combinations of assumed personal factors,
operative temperature, air speed, and humidity
above are predicted to limit the percentage of
dissatisfied people to less than 10% per ASHRAE
55-2004.
• Local discomfort effects have been considered
and are not likely to exceed Standard 55 limits.

20. EQc7.2: THERMAL COMFORT
VERIFICATION
1 Credit Point
Credit Intent:
To provide for the assessment of building occupant thermal
comfort over time.
Requirements:
- Achieve IEQ Credit 7.1: Thermal Comfort – Design
- Provide a permanent monitoring system to ensure that building
performance meets the desired comfort criteria.
- Agree to conduct a thermal comfort survey of building
occupants within 6 to 18 months after occupancy.
- Agree to develop a plan for corrective action if the survey
results indicate that more than 20% of occupants are
dissatisfied with thermal comfort in the building.

21. EQc7.2: THERMAL COMFORT
VERIFICATION
1 Credit Point
Solution:
Provide a Thermal Comfort Survey by a team made up
of facility operators or third party consultants.
• Conduct survey 6 months after occupancy
• Conduct survey 18 months after occupancy
• Once during peak of heating season
• Once during peak of cooling season
If more than 20% of the respondents are dissatisfied
with the thermal comfort components of the building
for that particular season, measures will be taken to
investigate the building and identify the specific
problem.

22. IDc1.4: GREEN CLEANING PROGRAM
1 Credit Point
Credit Intent:
Reduce the exposure of building occupants and maintenance personnel
to potentially hazardous chemical, biological and particulate
contaminants, which adversely affect air quality, human health, building
finishes, building systems and the environment, by implementing specific
cleaning procedures and processes.
Requirements:
• Provide an appropriate staffing plan.
• Implement training of maintenance personnel in the hazards, use,
maintenance, disposal and recycling of cleaning chemicals,
dispensing equipment and packaging.
• Use concentrates with appropriate dilution systems to minimize
chemical use wherever possible.
• Use sustainable cleaning materials, products, equipment, janitorial
paper products and trash bags.
• The facility must score ≤ 3 in an audit in accordance with APPA
Leadership in Educational Facilities’ “Custodial Staffing Guidelines”.

23. IDc1.4: GREEN CLEANING PROGRAM
1 Credit Point
Solution:
The Green Cleaning Policy details specific tasks including
utilization of green certified products, environmentally
preferred products, vacuums with HEPA filter systems,
minimization of supply consumption, and use of recycled
content.
Logs will be maintained that document cleaning
schedules and each cleaning product and equipment
purchase.

24. IDc1.4: GREEN CLEANING PROGRAM
1 Credit Point
Solution:
MSU facilities operators will manage and ensure compliance with
the green cleaning policy by:
- Identifying the cleaning task and performance requirements
- Defining or outlining steps of the cleaning procedure
- Selecting the correct products
- Training cleaning personnel to use correct procedures and to
understand the potential health, safety, and environmental
impacts of the cleaning products and processes
- Conduct ongoing inspection and monitoring programs
- Communicating clearly with building occupants and practicing
appropriate storage and disposal methods
- Approaching building cleaning holistically
- Cleaning to protect health and safety
- Ensuring cleaning personnel and building occupant safety at
all times