The Top 15 Eco-Friendly Sustainable Buildings in Wisconsin

Images courtesy of Johnson Controls, GRAEF USA, Architizer, Inc, and Connolly Architects & Consultants.

Wisconsin is leading the way in green building with many interesting examples of eco-friendly structures in the state.

From innovative designs to water and energy efficiency, eco-friendly sustainable buildings in Wisconsin are changing how we approach construction.

Eco-friendly construction entails designing and building houses with minimal environmental impact throughout their lifecycle. From material sourcing and transportation to construction, use, and demolition, these houses must incorporate features that conserve the environment.

So, which buildings in Wisconsin meet these sustainable construction criteria?

In this article, I’ll discuss the top 15 eco-friendly sustainable buildings in Wisconsin. I’ll help you determine the best technology for your next green project by covering features that make these buildings environmentally friendly. Keep reading!

1. Johnson Controls Building

Located in Glendale, Johnson Controls Building is among the top eco-friendly sustainable buildings in Wisconsin.

Johnson Controls incorporates global volunteerism and philanthropy to create smart, healthy, and sustainable communities, and they built their offices in Glendale in line with their work culture of sustainability.

The 117,300-square-foot (10,800-square-meter) building was LEED Platinum-certified in 2010 with a scorecard of 56 points. This came after an assessment that revealed numerous sustainability features, including:

• Public transportation access: The building’s proximity to bus stations makes it easier for employees and stakeholders to use public transportation. This reduces the number of personal vehicles on roads, minimizing carbon dioxide emissions.
• Alternative transportation: The building has bicycle storage facilities, showers, and changing rooms for bikers. This encourages people to use bicycles as an alternative mode of transport, reducing carbon emissions. It also has parking spaces for fuel-efficient and low-emitting vehicles.
• Stormwater management system: The system harvests and filters rainwater for irrigation, reducing surface runoff and erosion.
• Water efficiency: It incorporates water-saving landscaping practices like drip irrigation and native plants, reducing outdoor water consumption by 50%. It also has low-flow plumbing fixtures that save 20 percent of indoor water.
• Energy efficiency: It uses small HVAC units with less than 0.5 pounds of refrigerant. These systems are more energy-efficient than their standard counterparts. It also uses energy-efficient LED lighting with smart control systems.
• Waste management: Over 50% of construction waste was diverted from landfills through recycling.

2. South Campus Union

The South Campus Union in Madison is owned and operated by the University of Madison. It was LEED Gold-certified in 2012 with a scorecard of 45 points due to its numerous sustainability features.

The 206,346-square-foot (19,170-square-meter) building was built in line with the university’s goal of integrating sustainability into building design and function.

Its sustainability features focus on water, energy, and resource consumption. It also integrates measures that facilitate waste reduction.

The building has alternative parking for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The union’s key green building features are:

• Community connectivity: Its proximity to essential services like banks, groceries, markets, and restaurants makes commuting easier.
• Public transportation access: Its proximity to bus stations promotes the use of public transportation to lower carbon dioxide emissions.
• Green roof: This provides additional insulation and helps manage stormwater runoff.
• Water efficiency: It incorporates sustainable landscaping practices, including native plants, to conserve water. These practices have led to a reduction in outdoor water use of over 50%.
• Energy conservation: It features large windows for maximum daylighting to reduce the demand for artificial lighting during the day. Also, it uses energy-efficient LED bulbs and lighting control technology to save more energy.
• Green power: It has a photovoltaic solar array that supplies power to supplement the mains electricity.
• Indoor environmental quality: The union was built with low-VOC paints, sealants, and adhesives to enhance indoor air quality. This promotes the health and well-being of its occupants.

3. Horizon Village Residence Hall

The Horizon Village Residence Hall in Madison is among the top eco-friendly sustainable buildings in Wisconsin due to its energy and water-saving features.

The building’s north-south orientation is crucial for its sustainability. This orientation facilitates the penetration of direct daylight into each unit, meaning its occupants don’t have to rely on artificial lighting during the day, thereby saving energy.

It also has a hybrid geothermal system that uses convection for heating and cooling to conserve energy. Its 56 underground geothermal wells supply enough power to heat water for domestic use.

Other essential sustainable features include:

• Green roof: It provides additional insulation to shield the building against heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer, as well as helping to manage stormwater.
• Bioswales: There are bioswales around the building for retaining and filtering stormwater for use in irrigation.
• Alternative transportation: It has a bike garage that promotes the use of bicycles as an alternative mode of transport to curb carbon emissions from cars.
• Reusing materials: Its indoor fireplace and outdoor patio were made with limestone from a previous building, diverting waste from landfills and conserving natural resources.

4. Ozaukee Humane Society

Located in Saukville, Wisconsin, Ozaukee Humane Society is a LEED Gold-certified building with different sustainable features.

The building was LEED-certified for lighting, energy, water, and material initiatives.

Ozaukee Humane Society has solar hot water panels that heat water for domestic use. This green energy source lowers the building’s demand for mains electricity, minimizing its carbon footprint.

It also incorporates landscaping with native plants adapted to Wisconsin’s climate to reduce the need for constant irrigation.

The building’s other sustainability features include:

• An energy recovery system that uses fresh outside air for cooling. This helps reduce its energy demand.
• It was built with locally-sourced materials to reduce transportation carbon emissions.
• Low-emitting sealants, adhesives, and paints were used to promote indoor air quality.
• A stormwater retention and management system to attenuate runoff.
• High-reflective roofing to prevent heat absorption, minimizing the heat island effect.
• Alternative parking for efficient vehicles with low carbon emissions.

5. JF Ahern Office Building

Located in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, The JF Ahern Office Building was built with sustainability in mind. It provided an opportunity for the company to showcase its green building expertise.

The 58,000-square-foot (5,390-square-meter) building was built to be highly sustainable, which led to the LEED Gold certification award.

It has a sunlit atrium that serves as a gathering center for employees. Being lit by sunlight reduces the demand for artificial lighting during the day to save energy.

The building has an efficient integrated rainwater harvesting and treatment system. Its 20,000-gallon (76,000-liter) underground cistern collects and treats rainwater before pumping it into a 1,500-gallon (5,700-liter) storage tank for use in flushing fixtures. This approach saves 750 gallons (2,800 liters) of potable water daily.

The building also has a unique, sustainable cooling feature that incorporates an ice storage system. The system makes ice at night for natural cooling when it gets hot during the day.

Other sustainable features include:

• White roof: It reflects solar heat, lowering the cooling load.
• Alternative transportation: It has bike racks, storage, and shower facilities to encourage employees to use bicycles as an alternative means of transportation.
• Bathroom fixtures: Dual flush stem valves in toilets and bathrooms for water efficiency.
• Radiant heating: The building gets supplemental heat from an underground radiant system.
• Eco-friendly materials: The building’s drywall was made of 10 percent recycled gypsum, which helped divert waste from landfills.
• Indoor environmental quality: It incorporates low-VOC adhesives, paint, and sealant for better indoor air quality.

6. Sage Hall

Located in Madison, Sage Hall is among the top eco-friendly sustainable buildings in Wisconsin due to its water conservation initiatives and high quality indoor environment.

The hall is LEED Gold-certified due to its commitment to environmental conservation.

It has a 5,203-square-foot (483-square-meter) green roof, which is instrumental in the hall’s stormwater management and insulation approach.

The green roof provides additional insulation that prevents heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. Therefore, it reduces the heating load in winter and the cooling load in summer, saving more energy.

Furthermore, since the roof can hold 6,192 gallons (23,440 liters) of water, it helps manage stormwater runoff.

Sage Hall has bioswales engineered to collect and retain stormwater. It reduces the volume and speed of rainwater, minimizing erosion and preventing the pollution of nearby streams.

Other vital green building features include:

• Solar energy: It has 188 photovoltaic cell panels on its roof. These panels generate 47.1 kW of electricity — enough to power three to four houses. This reduces its dependence on mains electricity and, thus, its carbon footprint.
• Solar hot water system: The hall has 60 rooftop solar thermal panels for heating domestic water. The system generates up to three million BTUs daily, supplying over 70% of the hall’s domestic hot water needs.
• Sustainable material sourcing: It was built with bricks manufactured within a 500-mile (805-km) radius, reducing transportation carbon emissions.
• Eco-friendly landscaping: It incorporates native plants adapted to the region’s climate. This reduces the need for irrigation, conserving potable water.

7. Mayfair Woods Office Building

This is a 170,000-square-foot (15,800-square-meter), 5-story office building in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It’s LEED Silver-certified due to its numerous sustainability features.

The office was built with recycled materials to conserve natural resources and divert waste from landfills.

It was certified after an assessment that incorporated the following:

• Water and energy efficiency.
• Waste management.
• Human experience.
• Transportation.

After the assessment, it achieved LEED Silver certification for the following reasons:

• Sustainable material sourcing: Most materials used in construction were locally sourced, eliminating the need for distant transportation to cut carbon emissions.
• Maximum daylighting: The building has ample windows facilitating maximum daylighting. Therefore, it has a low demand for artificial daylighting during the day. It also uses LED fixtures and smart lighting control to save more energy.
• Water efficiency: It uses low-flow plumbing fixtures to reduce indoor water consumption. Additionally, it incorporates sustainable landscaping practices to minimize outdoor water use.
• Waste management: Most construction waste was recycled into new products, diverting material from landfills.
• Eco-friendly transportation: The building has alternative parking for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles. Furthermore, its proximity to public transportation services facilitates the use of public transport to reduce the number of vehicles on roads.

8. Meadowland Research and Technology Center

This is a 39,109-square-foot (3,633-square-meter) class-A office building in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

It’s LEED Silver-certified for achieving high sustainability standards.

The building sits on an 8-acre (348,480-square-foot) piece of land and offers an expansive workplace environment with open floor plans to reduce the real estate cost per employee.

The center’s central location allows for efficient connectivity to the region’s most essential services. For instance, it’s easy to access banks, markets, restaurants, and laundry without using cars.

The building is also highly energy-efficient thanks to its expansive glass windows. These windows facilitate daylighting, lowering the demand for artificial lighting during the day.

It also has the following features:

• Low-flow plumbing fixtures to conserve indoor potable water.
• On-demand lighting to ensure artificial lighting is only used when necessary.
• Climate-controlled for a conducive indoor environment.
• Large open outdoor green space that promotes biodiversity.
• Covered parking to reduce the urban heat island effect.
• Energy Star-rated appliances for energy efficiency.

9. Culver Family Welcome Center

The Culver Family Welcome Center is another building owned and operated by the University of Wisconsin.

The building incorporates an Energy Star-compliant white EPDM membrane roof with a high reflectance. The roof reflects solar heat, creating a cooler roof to reduce the demand for cooling.

Moreover, it has daylight sensors for lighting control. These sensors dim the light based on the intensity of natural light.

The construction team paid close attention to indoor air quality for the safety and well-being of its occupants. To achieve this, they used low-VOC paints, adhesives, and sealants.

Other eco-friendly features include:

• Stormwater management: It has biofiltration basins for stormwater treatment.
• Alternative transportation: The center has bicycle racks to promote the use of bicycles among its staff and visitors. It also has priority parking for ten low-emitting, fuel-efficient vehicles.
• Green landscaping: It uses native plants for landscaping. These plants require minimal irrigation since they are adapted to Wisconsin’s climate.

10. Student Success Center

The University of Wisconsin’s Student Success Center is a LEED Silver-certified building with numerous environmentally friendly features. It was the first LEED-certified project at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

The building incorporates a ground-source geothermal system that accounts for its 70% heating and cooling efficiency.

Moreover, it relies more on green energy supplied by its 84 rooftop photovoltaic panels. These panels generate approximately 23,973 kWh of electricity yearly, reducing the center’s dependence on the mains supply.

The building’s outdoor green space comprises native plants and grass for water efficiency. These landscaping practices reduce the need for constant irrigation, minimizing outdoor water consumption.

Finally, it conserves energy by leveraging daylighting through ample windows.

11. Student Recreation and Wellness Center

The Student Recreation and Wellness Center was built with sustainability in mind. It was built to LEED Silver standards, adhering to environmental and resource conservation.

The team used locally-sourced building materials to minimize the project’s environmental impact.

Locally-sourced materials reduce transportation distance, minimizing carbon dioxide emissions and, ultimately, the building’s carbon footprint.

The building has a smart lighting system that adjusts the lighting intensity based on ambient lighting to save energy. Also, it’s oriented to the south and north for maximum daylighting to lower the demand for artificial lighting during the day.

Other environmentally friendly initiatives include:

• A heat recovery wheel that captures and recirculates energy from heated air for efficient indoor heating.
• Ample windows to maximize daylighting.
• A 2.88-kW photovoltaic tracker system.

12. Blackhawk Commons

Located in Madison, Blackhawk Commons features some of the most eco-friendly features. The building was designed for maximum energy and water conservation.

As a buffet dining area for students, the building offers trayless dining. This initiative reduces overconsumption among students, leading to a 17% decrease in food waste.

Blackhawk Commons is among the few buildings in Wisconsin with almost 100 percent organic waste diversion. It diverts most of its organic waste through an onsite biodigester. Moreover, it has a trash compactor that lowers waste pick-up frequency.

Other sustainable features include:

• Water efficiency: It uses a water-saving dishwashing machine to conserve potable indoor water.
• Energy efficiency: It has an array of 24 solar thermal panels for heating domestic water, reducing its use of mains electricity. Additionally, its incorporation of new appliances and lighting retrofits led to a 20% energy saving.

13. Milwaukee County Zoo Education Center

The Milwaukee County Zoo walks the talk when it comes to environmental sustainability.

Besides its education center being built to meet the highest sustainability standards, the zoo incorporates eco-friendly practices throughout its operations.

The zoo has remained focused on energy conservation since 2016. It uses energy-efficient LED bulbs that consume 80% less energy.

The education center has eight solar panels generating about 16 MWh of electricity annually. This reduces its carbon footprint by lowering its demand for mains power.

The center also reuses objects like towels and clothes, diverting waste from landfill. It also shreds organic waste into mulch instead of disposing of it in landfills.

Finally, the zoo has an EcoCell system for recycling phones and tablets. 

14. Taylor Residence Hall

Taylor Residence Hall is a LEED-inspired building in Wisconsin.

As the University of Wisconsin’s first endeavor into LEED-based renovations, the structure incorporates some of the best water and energy conservation features.

The hall has energy-efficient windows that contribute immensely to its energy-saving initiatives.

Additionally, it was built with extra-thick and continuous insulation to shield the indoors against heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. This reduces its heating and cooling demand based on the season.

Its skylights and ample windows increase the amount of natural light getting into the rooms, reducing the need for artificial lighting.

Finally, it lowers its carbon footprint by heating its domestic water with solar energy.

15. Redeemer United Church of Christ

Located in Sussex, this is one of the top eco-friendly sustainable buildings in Wisconsin.

The 16,420-square-foot (1,525-square-meter) building has an east-west orientation. The orientation maximizes the south-facing daylight to reduce artificial lighting during the day and conserve more energy.

It also has a restored native prairie with an eco-friendly stormwater management system that reduces surface runoff.

The church has large windows to increase the amount of natural light penetrating the rooms during the day, which saves more energy.

Finally, its outdoor space is covered with native grass with minimal irrigation requirements to conserve water, which lowers the church’s demand for municipal water.

Final Thoughts On Sustainable Buildings in Wisconsin

Thanks to these example of the top 15 eco-friendly sustainable buildings in Wisconsin, you know what makes for a greener project.

As an eco-conscious homeowner or builder, incorporating some of these technologies into your project will help minimize the environmental impact of your next project.