SPOTLIGHT on education
George Mason University’s new Institute for Digital InnovAtion will be built at the school’s Arlington Campus near Amazon’s National Landing headquarters. Photo courtesy George Mason University
Higher Ed D Goes Green George Mason and Virginia Tech commit to sustainability
BY K A R I P U G H
20
THE BUSINESS VOICE
|
SPRING 2020
id you know that both George Mason University and Virginia Tech are internationally recognized leaders in “going green”? Both have long track records of spearheading global sustainability research projects and investing in innovative programs to narrow carbon footprints, and now both are in the early stages of planning new campuses in Arlington and Alexandria as part of Amazon’s National Landing headquarters.
What’s at the center of both schools' plans for those projects? Sustainability, of course.
At George Mason, the goal is LEED Gold or Platinum Certification and net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 George Mason University is requesting bids for the transformation of its Arlington campus, seeking a development partner to design, construct and operate its Institute for Digital InnovAtion. The $250 million project will include approximately 400,000 square feet of new building space in Arlington’s Virginia Square, incorporating “advanced cyber infrastructure and green technologies” to support a mix of tech-based research programs, innovation labs