The Marvin I. Danto Engineering Development Center is the first building of Wayne State University to be designated a U.S. Green Building Council LEED Silver Certified facility. The 82,500-square-foot Engineering Development Center provides an advanced technology facility for engineering research on WSU's Midtown campus, and was completed in 2009 at a cost of $27.3 million.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification is achieved by meeting specific requirements in five environmental categories: site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. The EDC is the first of four sustainably designed projects, with three remaining facilities expected also to receive LEED certification.

"We are pleased to receive this recognition and hope that it is the first of many LEED certifications for our campus," President Allan Gilmour said. "This is a positive step toward our goal of making our campus one that is focused on the benefits and importance of sustainability."

The Green Building Council uses the LEED certification process to encourage and facilitate development of sustainable buildings in more than 120 countries. With more than 9 billion square feet of building space participating in the rating system, LEED has highly influenced the way buildings are designed, built and used. Wayne State is using USGBC certification requirements to help guide construction of sustainable buildings around campus. Following this approach, Facilities Planning & Management's Design and Construction Services has worked toward implementation of sustainable strategies in the four most recent major construction projects at WSU.

The EDC is home to engineering research in alternative energy, nanotechnology, biotechnology, smart sensors, advanced propulsion and other "translational" research areas that will lead to beneficial industry innovations. When first opened, it was hailed as an interactive, academic business model that would promote economic development in Michigan by providing engineering services to help companies accelerate their own research and development activities. WSU received a donation of $3 million from businessman Marvin I. Danto toward construction of the three-story building, which adjoins the College of Engineering.