A second residence hall at St. Xavier University on Chicago's
Southwest Side has received a gold LEED rating, the university says.
Mother Agatha O'Brien Hall, a 36,664-square-foot facility,
follows in the footsteps of the university's Rubloff Hall, a
sustainably designed residence hall that opened in 2006 and received
Gold LEED certification in 2007.
"The main driver for O'Brien Hall's green design is
the recognition of increased productivity from a building that is
comfortable and enjoyable and provides healthy conditions," says a
case study prepared for St. Xavier by Environmental Systems Design.
"Comfortable occupants are less distracted, able to focus better on
their tasks, and appreciate the physiological benefits good green
design
provides with daylighting, environmentally sensitive materials, outside
views and thermal comfort."
O'Brien Hall has numerous environmentally friendly
features, the university says.
The site for the new facility was an existing parking lot
that is close to public transportation. Student rooms have bicycle
storage hooks to encourage cycling, the parking lot offers preferred
spaces for those who car pool, and the design includes open space
adjacent to the building.
A 50-foot-high circular glass stair tower draws tempered
air to assist in night pre-cooling during the summer and heating during
the winter. The indoor air quality in the student rooms is
significantly
above standards set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating
and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). All student rooms have windows
that can be opened to permit natural ventilation and admit daylight.
The building's air-conditioning equipment does not use
refrigerants with chlorofluorocarbons or hydrochlorofluorocarbons,
which
have been linked to global warming. St. Xavier chose adhesives, paints
and carpet that release low or not volatile organic compounds and that
have more than 10 percent recycled content. More than 20 percent of the
building materials were manufactured locally and more than 50 percent
were harvested locally. More than 90 percent of the construction waste
was recycled.
The residence hall conserves water through the use of the
campus pond for irrigation and the installation of low-flow fixtures in
the building. A green roof and slow drainage swales help the school
manage storm water runoff efficiently and reduce the heat-island
effect.
A ventilation system directly injects fresh air to student
rooms to enhance thermal comfort and helps monitor temperature and
humidity.
Part of St. Xavier's energy consumption comes from green
power bought from windmills and solar farms.
The architect for O'Brien Hall is Solomon Cordwell Buenz
and Associates.
by Mike Kennedy
