Residence hall construction focuses on going green

Since planning  on the new residence hall at 17th and R streets began in the summer, everyone involved in the design and construction has made careful choices to make this housing project student-friendly, green and cost-and-time effective.

Doug Zatechka, director of University Housing, said he takes student preferences into consideration when designing residence halls.

"We try very hard to come up with something students like," Zatechka said.

In his experience, Zatechka has found students value multipurpose space for socials and other gatherings. The design also includes public study rooms with windows to the surrounding halls, so that students in the study rooms can see outside and feel safer with the visibility.

The housing project will be a suite-style residence hall, holding four students in each suite. Suites will either have four private bedrooms or two double rooms. The main difference between suites and apartments is suites have smaller kitchen areas, which include only a refrigerator, microwave, small sink and cupboards.

For students' privacy, bathrooms will be compartmentalized: An area with two sinks and a counter, the toilet area and the shower area all will be separated by walls.

"We haven't done that before, but it provides a high level of privacy," Zatechka said. "Students seem to like privacy – men and women both."

The residence hall will be a green building, complete with geothermal heating and cooling, thermal-pane windows, insulation and Low-E glass. Geothermal heating and cooling equipment pumps hot or cool air from holes under the parking lot; test holes have been as deep as 100 to 200 feet, Zatechka said. Low-E glass, or low emissivity glass, reflects heat away from the window in the summer and into rooms during winter.

The building also will use environmentally friendly products, and planners have tried to order materials from nearby providers to minimize the fuel for delivery.

To reduce later maintenance and renovation costs, the building's design includes more durable materials than some traditional choices.

"The more expense you save on a building, the less impact on higher room and board rates there are," Zatechka said. "We're very fussy on that."

Instead of using regular Formica plastic, window sills and counter tops will be covered with a more solid material. In places where walls could be more durable, the building will have a chair rail or wainscot to strengthen the walls, said Ted Weidner, assistant vice chancellor for UNL's facilities management and planning.

Before the design was finalized, contractors began construction last fall so they could get a head start and hopefully finish the exterior before the spring mud is a problem. Weidner said the residence hall is projected to be finished in August 2010.

"I think that the 17th and R (housing) facility is going to be yet another attractive option for students," Weidner said. "It's going to be built in a timely matter and built cost-effectively."

The building should hold 565 students and will be available to freshmen as well as upperclassmen. Alan Cerveny, UNL's dean of admissions, said the additional housing space is a valuable marketing tool.

"New residence halls always can be count(ed) on to generate additional interest," Cerveny said. "Prospective students are excited by new facilities, and their parents see new housing construction as a sign the university is continuing to grow."

andreavasquez@dailynebraskan.com