Construction work on the hall commenced in January 2010. The new hall covers an area of 131,246 square feet with 500 beds, five classrooms, one faculty apartment, a residence hall director apartment, a great room/lobby as well as study areas on every storey.
The residence hall incorporates numerous green features including installation of energy-efficient systems like Energy star eligible appliances, water-efficient fixtures to slash energy and water consumption. The building uses LED lighting fixtures. Further, the lighting systems are sensor-controlled and automatically turn off when the rooms are vacant.
The heating and cooling systems in the facility possess automatic controls. The building also features windows which optimise circulation of natural light while featuring native landscaping. The kitchen of the facility too makes use of energy-saving appliances. Use of energy-saving features contributes to a 39% reduction in energy usage when compared to a building of the same dimensions leading to utility savings of $220,000 per year.
The building utilises solar photovoltaic renewable energy on the carport at Bear Creek Apartments and features covered bike parking. The construction process utilized low VOC materials and other products with high recycled content. In addition, it has an advanced storm water management system and diverts over 50% of construction debris from reaching the landfills.
The project received funding from bonds of the campus Housing and Dining Services department which will be repaid via the revenue produced from the extra 500 beds.
