Prince Frederick Hall, a University of Maryland residence hall, has earned LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The certification represents an internationally recognized achievement of being an environmentally sustainable building. Although Maryland law requires that all state-funded buildings be built with LEED Silver Certification, Prince Frederick is the seventh campus building to achieve Gold.
The LEED Gold Certification is a major achievement for university design and construction. As a Gold certified building, Prince Frederick has lower operating costs, higher water efficiency, optimized energy performance, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The Prince Frederick Hall project represents another sustainable step in the right direction for the university, which aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2020, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The building, which opened in the fall of 2014, is one of the more luxurious buildings on campus in addition to being one of the most sustainable. Housing nearly 500 students, Prince Frederick Hall provides its residents with private bathrooms to be shared among suitemates, along with large lounges, study spaces, and year round air-conditioning.