“The Alice Cook House is the first of five houses on West Campus that are part of the Residential Initiative at Cornell University. The House was named in honor of Cornell faculty member Alice Hanson Cook (1903-1998). The House has its own dining room, leisure common area, library, pantry, guest suite and rooms for computing, seminars, academic support, and programs, engaging faculty, students, and staff in an environment of collegiality, civility, and stewardship,” (Alice Cook House, see below).

Cornell University’s Alice Cook House was the first LEED-certified residence hall in New York State. Plants and grasses are grown on the roof to maximize space, provide insulation, reduce water run-off, and reduce renovation costs by protecting the building from the effects of weather. While the size of the green roof was not enough to earn LEED points, the installation of a green roof provides an important demonstration of this specialized green roof design for the campus. Some native plants were used.