Markim Hall, home of the Kofi Annan Institute for Global Citizenship, is Macalester’s first LEED Platinum Certified building, and one of the first campus buildings in the nation to earn the U.S. Green Building Council’s highest-level certification for energy efficiency and environmental design.

The building’s design and construction support the IGC’s mission and reflect the college’s deep commitment to sustainable practices and responsible citizenship.

The $5.4 million, 17,0000 SF facility houses the Institute for Global Citizenship, civic engagement, study abroad and international programs, faculty and staff offices, meeting rooms, and an open atrium for campus events.

An interior courtyard knits the building together, and provides an inspiring place for students, faculty and community to contemplate and discuss their place in our new global society.

Sustainable features include energy and water use, indoor air quality, materials used in construction and furnishings, native landscaping, innovative storm water management, and public education. Markim Hall uses approximately 80% less energy than a standard building in its climate. A concrete core acts as a thermal flywheel to mitigate internal thermal loads. The hydronic HVAC system combines radiant ceiling panels, chilled sails and heat recovery.

Markim Hall was built at a cost comparable to other campus buildings, utilizing recycled, non-toxic and low-VOC materials throughout. It is over four times as efficient as the building it replaced and is exceptionally quiet and comfortable, with 100% operable windows.

It relies on the radiant heating and cooling systems coupled to the mass of the structure to greatly reduce the building’s thermal demand.