Colonial Quad Renovation Earns LEED Gold for Sustainable Materials and Design

A large, light-filled room with vertical windows, a large check-in desk and a variety of exercise machines.
The Well, part of the major renovation at Colonial Hall that earned the University LEED Gold certification. (Photos by Brian Busher)

By Margaret Hartley 

ALBANY, N.Y. (Dec. 16, 2025) — A renovation project on Colonial Quad has earned the University LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, bringing the number of LEED certifications at UAlbany to 18. 

The $46.9 million project, completed in August 2024, included a gut renovation of Paine and Zenger residence halls, and the transformation of the quad’s former dining hall into the Colonial Recreation & Wellness Center, known as The Well. The certification was announced Dec. 8. 

A line of smiling people cut a purple ribbon in front of a building with the words "Recreation & Wellness" above the doors.
The University celebrated the opening of The Well in August. 

From the start, the Colonial Quad project was designed and constructed to meet LEED Gold standards while respecting the original mid-century modern architecture of Edward D. Stone. LEED elements incorporated into the renovation included new heating, cooling and ventilation systems, new windows, water-saving plumbing fixtures, energy-saving LED lighting in hallways and student rooms and other modern upgrades. The project utilized low-VOC paints, coatings, sealants, adhesives and flooring to protect indoor air quality.  

“The University has a robust Climate Action and Sustainability Plan that is guiding our work and informing our decisions,” said Todd Foreman, vice president for finance and administration. “This project is one example of many that we are committed to creating a more sustainable planet.” 

Two young men sit in a dormatory room, one talking from a desk with notebooks on it, the other listening from his bed near the windows.
A newly renovated room in Paine Hall. 

The new certification for Colonial is the 11th LEED Gold certification for the University, including one earned in 2019 after the gut renovation of Herkimer Hall, also on Colonial Quad. The University has five buildings with Silver certification and two LEED Platinums — the highest certification — for ETEC and Hudson. 

“Achieving our high environmental certification, particularly excelling in Materials Management and Regional Priority and focusing on components that are locally sourced and rigorously vetted for toxins, is a powerful testament to our core belief: that sustainable building design and construction is synonymous with health and well-being,” said Mary Ellen Mallia, the University’s director of sustainability. 

LEED certification, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Through design, construction and operations practices that focus on environmental and human health, LEED-certified buildings demonstrate the University’s ongoing commitment to sustainability. 

For the Colonial project, Page Architecture and Planning handled design, while LeChase Construction Services served as the general contractor. Funding assistance came from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York.