The Modern Theatre project is being planned to meet high standards for green design and sustainability, a hallmark of Suffolk University’s facilities.

The building will be LEED certified. LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and buildings that earn this certification employ green design across all phases of design and construction. The building will be sustainable not only in the materials and systems used in construction, but also due to clean and efficient operation when the building comes into use.

Historic precedent

The Modern Theatre’s facade is being dismantled, restored, and rebuilt on site, but the residence hall project will not be Suffolk University’s first to use building materials recycled from a construction site.

In 1923 the University made a deal with a demolition company to leave the brick behind as a structure on Beacon Hill was razed to make way for a new campus building. Work crews cleaned and reused nearly 150,000 bricks for the construction project.

While making the most of its resources in those early years, Suffolk University was ahead of its time in sustainable use of materials.

Today Suffolk University works diligently to find creative solutions to environmental challenges. The University instills the values of sustainability through education and practice -- in its buildings and by coaching students, faculty, and staff.