Des Moines Area Community College’s (DMACC) VanKirk Career Academy in Perry has received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Ryan Companies US Inc. in West Des Moines was the contractor on the 16,048-square-foot building, which features has these energy-efficient features:

• The use of regional building materials. Forty percent of the materials were manufactured within 500 miles of the project site.
• Building fixtures that reduce water use by 37 percent.
• 70.2 tons of construction waste was recycled instead of being sent to a landfill.
• A geothermal heating system.