Overview
Built in 1857, the Administration Center at Indiana Tech University is the oldest building on campus and one of the oldest in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Within the past 10 years, the Indiana Tech campus has seen significant expansion through construction and improvement. Yet, this 153-year-old landmark was still in need of repairs and upgrades. But that all changed in October 2009, when the building was gutted with the goal of achieving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The resulting renovation transformed the pre-Civil War era building into a haven of energy-efficient technology and sustainable design.
 
Challenge
 
Indiana Tech had several goals when renovating the historic Administration Center. Officials wanted to reorganize the use of space throughout campus to centralize student services, while conserving energy and trying to achieve LEED certification. Architect Terry Thornsbury of Viridian Architectural Design said he wanted to achieve as many LEED points as possible through energy efficiency while having a good return on investment.
Thornsbury also wanted clean lighting that wouldn’t contrast with increased natural light. Additionally, officials hoped to reduce the maintenance associated with changing fluorescent bulbs and ballasts.
 
Solution
 
The three-story building is lit 98 percent with Cree LEDs lights, helping the Fort Wayne, Indiana-based college conserve energy, reduce maintenance and provide beautiful light for employees, students and alumni. The 10,957-square foot building features:

• 97 Cree LR24 ™ LED troffer lights. Offices, conference rooms and corridors illuminated with beautiful, clean white LED light. Each light consumes only 44 Watts while delivering 3,200 lumens. The high-quality light features rates 90 on the Color Rendering Index with a color temperature of 3,500K.

• 61 Cree LR6C ™ LED downlights.  Each light consumes only 12 Watts while delivering 650 lumens. The lights rate 92 on the Color Rendering Index and also feature a color temperature of 3,500K. 

•  Long lifetime. The Cree LED lights are designed to last 50,000 hours. At the 50,000 hour mark, Cree’s LED lights are designed to provide at least 70 percent of their initial light output. That means the lights in the Administration Center could last more than 19 years based on the university’s projected use of 10 hours a day, five days a week.

•  Energy Efficiency. Over the long life of the LED lights, the energy-efficient lighting in the Administration Center will save an estimated 259,700 kWh and avoid 270 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. That reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere by the same amount as if you planted 8,852 trees.

• Intelligent Control. The Cree LED lights work with an Intelligent Lighting Controls system with occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting, a control system that helps conserve even more energy by automatically adjusting the light level based on how much natural daylight is shining through the building’s large, preserved windows. 

Indiana Tech Facilities Director Mike Townsley said he was skeptical an all LED-lit building would provide enough light for employees to work under. But that hasn’t been a problem, he said. Instead, employees are taking advantage of dimmers installed in each room. He said most employees are keeping the lights in their offices dimmed to 50 percent, which helps save even more energy. “We’ve heard positive feedback about the lights,” Townsley said. “So far I’m pleasantly surprised.”
 
Mike Peterson is one of the university officials who moved into the newly-renovated building in July. He said he likes the controllability the dimmer in his office offers. He also enjoys the quality of the LED light.  “There’s good light distribution around the room,” Peterson said. “It doesn’t feel like there are dark areas or shadows.”
 
As director of Alumni Relations, Peterson says there’s another benefit to the LED lighting: Alumni like it.
“When you’re talking with alumni, any time you’re doing anything that’s technologically advanced it’s a plus,” Peterson said, adding that it’s a bonus that LED lighting technology is helping the school conserve energy. “(Alumni) feel like we’re being smart with the money that’s invested by them,” he said.
 
The building houses the Alumni Welcome Center, which is designed to be an inviting place complete with a fireplace made with bricks salvaged from the building. The warm, recessed Cree LED lighting adds to the ambiance, he said.