Photo by Jerry Foreman

The greenest show on Earth:
ARD celebrates official opening

Northern Arizona University officially opens the greenest building in the state on Thursday, and the campus is invited to celebrate.

President John Haeger will host a reception to mark the opening of the Applied Research and Development building, #56, from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27.

NAU plans to be the first university to earn three major environmental rankings from the Leadership Energy and Environment Design building rating system from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The university is on course to earn a LEED "Platinum" rating—the highest possible—for ARD as it awaits a "Gold" rating for The W.A. Franke College of Business building and a "Silver" for the Engineering building.