About the new hall
The construction of Drew’s first new residence hall in 34 years is now underway. Behind the six-foot tall fence that surrounds the building site—which is adjacent to the Suites—construction workers will create a fully accessible, six-story building.
When completed, 159 undergraduates will call the hall and its 54,519 square feet of living space home. Students will be housed on the second through sixth floors in 39 suites. Each will feature a bathroom, a common area and two or three double bedrooms—with their own in-room sinks. In addition to the building’s resident director, a resident assistant will live on each floor.
The 9,000 square foot first floor will be entirely devoted to common areas including a high-tech business center, inviting lounges, and quiet rooms for meetings and group study sessions. Students were given a say in the floor’s design through a survey distributed in December 2006 and an ad-hoc committee chaired by Dean of Campus Affairs and Student Life Dawn Williams.
Drew’s commitment to environmental protection is evident in the design of the new residence hall. By working closely with engineers and construction officials, the university is actively striving to achieve LEED Certification—a prestigious designation bestowed upon only the cleanest and most efficient new buildings.
Don’t forget to check out our construction photos and come back often for updates.
“Green” Highlights of New Residence Hall Design
- Heat Island Reduction – traditional roof material absorbs sunlight and generates a “heat island” which has detrimental affects on the natural surroundings. In the New Residence Hall, highly reflective material will be utilized to deflect the sunlight therefore reducing the absorption.
- Improved Hardscape/Landscape – the site surrounding the new construction will also provide Heat Island reduction through native plantings that will provide shade cover for the space of up to 50% within 5 years. Non-heat absorbing materials will also be installed for sidewalks and other impervious surfaces.
- Water Efficiency – water efficiency is a key element of sustainable buildings. The new building will have the following sustainable elements:
- Water Efficient Landscaping – native vegetation and irrigation strategies will reduce potable water use by 50% compared to local benchmarks.
- Non-Potable Irrigation – rainwater and other recycled water will be utilized to irrigate the site.
- Water Efficient Fixtures – showers, faucets, toilets, and other plumbing fixtures in the New Residence Hall will exceed the Energy Policy Act of 1992 by at least 20%.
- Energy Consumption Reduction – energy use in the building after construction will have the most impact on the environment. Occupancy sensors, windows, and primary building heating systems will be designed to operate with significantly greater efficiency than other dormitory facilities of like use. The single biggest sustainable feature will be the geothermal system. This building will use this renewable energy to more effectively control the buildings' temperature.
- Recycled Construction Materials – at least 10% of all material used to build the New Residence Hall with contain recycled materials such as plastics, insulation, metal, and glass.
- Low Emissions Paint and Coatings – An overall reduction of indoor air contaminants will be achieved by using paints and other surface coverings made from low emission materials.
- Sustainable Operations – once the building is occupied, low environmental impact cleaning products will be utilized to care for the space.
Suites
