Mishawaka, Ind., June 4, 2009 – Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary Library, located in Elkhart, IN, is celebrating their achievement on becoming LEED Gold Certified. AMBS, which is the first theological library in the U.S. to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, has been seeking LEED certification since the beginning of design in 2004. This is also the first LEED certified building in Elkhart or St. Joseph County, Indiana.

The AMBS library is the first project on campus designed using the LEED system to rate “green building” elements. The new 37,500 SF library addition is physically linked to the academic building while maintaining a separate identity. The design provides access to a general book collection, reference materials, periodicals, seating, an exhibit gallery, restrooms, and the bookstore even after library hours. The main circulation desk is located immediately adjacent to the staff workroom and office spaces while providing sightlines to the library entrance and to the library spaces.

AMBS stated, “Our vision in creating a green library was motivated by our desire to care for God’s creation and to provide a healthy, invigorating space for study, reflection and collaboration. As we built the library and bookstore building, we made a commitment to reduce our impact on God's creation and to restore the land as much as possible.” For more information about AMBS, visit www.ambs.edu.

Building a high performance green library presented an unparalleled opportunity for The Troyer Group, who worked with AMBS to provide leadership in a renewed commitment to the stewardship of our environment. In choosing building materials and furnishing, preference was given to items made locally and those with recycled content and potential for future recycling.

Having worked with the Seminary for three decades, The Troyer Group of Mishawaka, Indiana, helped AMBS to design the original underground library. The existing library facility was intentionally designed as part of a previous project to enable this current addition to be constructed over the top of it. This allowed the team to maintain the use of the existing construction while improving the facility with this design.

The Troyer Group led an integrated design team to reach the goal of designing a LEED Gold rated project. Bill Barnard, AIA, LEED-AP, a LEED specialist for The Troyer Group, was one of the key members on the design team in achieving LEED registration. Bill chaired the Indiana Chapter of the USGBC and continues to represent the state as a regional representative to the USGBC National on the Heartland Regional Council.

The Troyer Group was established November 1, 1971 and provides a full range of in-house services including Architecture, Engineering (civil, structural, mechanical and electrical), Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, and Construction Administration Services. As a leader in sustainable design since its inception, The Troyer Group believes that all they do with and to the environment must contribute to its maintenance or improvement. The Troyer Group has sixteen LEED accredited professionals on staff and 28 staff members trained by the USGBC in LEED. For more information you can e-mail us at sustainabledesign@troyergroup.com or visit our website at www.troyergroup.com