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Sustainability
An arial shot of campus buildings.

Built Environment

Built environments include our buildings around campus.

Buildings are the most visible way we showcase our commitment to sustainability.

Going Green

At Illinois State, sustainability is part of a building's entire lifecycle. This means we're being responsible and thoughtful when it comes to design, construction, operation, renovation, and demolition.

United States Green Building Council

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a nonprofit organization that supports the development of prosperous, healthy and resilient communities through the transformation of the built environment. Illinois State University is a USGBC Silver level member.

Membership in USGBC provides resources to our campus community including LEED courses, workshops, conferences, and webinars.

Send us an email if you'd like to learn more about accessing USGBC's resources

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

We pursue LEED silver standards in all new construction and major renovation projects. This means the University Design Guidelines and Standards promote:

  • Energy efficiency
  • Local material selection
  • High indoor air quality
  • Waste reduction
  • Water savings
  • Access to mass transit
USGBC Member logo

The Illinois Green Buildings Act requires that all new state-funded building construction and major renovations of existing state-owned facilities must be designed to achieve, at a minimum, the silver certification of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design's rating system, as established by the United States Green Building Council, or an equivalent standard.

The Illinois Bird Safe Buildings Act (HB 247), signed into law in 2021, requires bird-friendly design standards for new and renovated state-owned buildings to reduce fatal window collisions. The law mandates features such as UV-patterned glass and shielded lighting to protect migrating birds and prevent bird strikes. Illinois State University is tracking bird-strike data across campus and is implementing bird-strike safety films in a phased approach, prioritizing buildings with the highest incidence of bird fatalities.



  • Utility Meters

    Large buildings at Illinois State have utility meters for water, electricity, natural gas, steam, and condensate. These meters help us manage our energy usage and make adjustments when needed. We're much more efficient because of them.

  • Materials and Finishes

    We use non-toxic paint, recycled polyester or nylon carpet, and local materials to create green buildings on campus.

  • Light Fixtures

    Many light fixtures on campus use efficient LED lighting to reduce energy consumption.

    We also use daylight harvesting when possible. This means we utilize natural daylight inside buildings when we can. It reduces the need for energy-consuming artificial lighting. Natural light is more pleasing, healthful, and psychologically beneficial than artificial light.

    Learn more about our energy conservation efforts at Illinois State.

  • Censors

    Motion and occupancy censors keep our buildings green. Motion censors detect movement and connect to lighting systems. When there's movement, lights turn on. When there hasn't been movement after some time, the lights turn off.

    Occupancy censors drive the heating and air conditioning in buildings. This information lets us make temperature adjustments. If there are fewer people in a space, we don't run the heat and air as much.

  • Cleaning

    We use environmentally-friendly materials to clean our facilities. This not only keeps our environment healthy, but our faculty, staff, and students, too.

There are lots of words associated with sustainability.

Learn what they all mean

Make Your Personal Built Environments Greener

You can do some of the same things we're doing to make your own physical space environmentally friendly.

  • Use LED lightbulbs.

    These lightbulbs use less energy than traditional bulbs. They also last longer and help reduce your electric bill.

  • Power off and unplug.

    Turn off your lights when you're not home or in a specific room. Unplug your electronics when you're not using them.

  • Adjust the temperature.

    When you're not home, adjust your heat or air conditioning so it's not running as often.

  • Clean with eco-friendly products.

    Environmentally-friendly cleaning products are just as powerful as the ones with harmful chemicals.