Roberts Hall at Lewis & Clark College

Location

Portland, OR

USA

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Building type
Multi-unit residential
Floor Area (ft2)
24730.0
Floor Area (m2)
2297
Date of Occupancy/ Completion
2002-09-01
Annual Purchased Energy (kBtu/ft2)
72
Annual Purchased Energy (MJ/m2)
827
Certifications & Awards
  • LEED-NC v.2/v.2.1 in 2004 achievement level Silver (34 points)
Project Team
  • Owner: Lewis & Clark College

Summary

Roberts Hall was designed along with two other new dormitories: East Hall and West Hall. The new buildings help fulfill the college's vision to blend their liberal arts campus with a magnificent natural environment. The three new buildings comprise the first phase of an overall master plan for the south residential campus that will ultimately house more than 1000 students. Responding to the needs of college juniors and seniors, these new residence halls were designed to provide a degree of privacy while creating a variety of spaces for social interaction.

**This building was originally imported from the U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Building Technologies Database (http://eere.buildinggreen.com/overview.cfm?projectid=148) on 2009-06-06. Please confirm that the import was successful, login, and remove this message. Help make the Green Building Brain better.**

Overview

  • Location: Portland, OR
  • Building type(s): Multi-unit residential
  • New construction
  • 24,700 sq. feet (2,300 sq. meters)
  • Project scope: a single building
  • Urban setting
  • Completed September 2002
  • Rating: U.S. Green Building Council LEED-NC, v.2/v.2.1--Level: Silver (34 points)

Roberts Hall was designed along with two other new dormitories: East Hall and West Hall. The new buildings help fulfill the college's vision to blend their liberal arts campus with a magnificent natural environment. The three new buildings comprise the first phase of an overall master plan for the south residential campus that will ultimately house more than 1000 students. Responding to the needs of college juniors and seniors, these new residence halls were designed to provide a degree of privacy while creating a variety of spaces for social interaction.

Environmental Aspects

Roberts Hall was carefully positioned on the steeply sloping site to reduce grading and stormwater impacts, retain existing trees, optimize solar orientation and natural daylighting, and create a sense of both community and individual identity.

Designed from the inside out, the interior spaces are open and expansive, creating a close connection with the outdoors. Materials and finishes were selected for their high recycled content, low toxicity, local sourcing, visual-tactile warmth, and durability. Exterior materials and colors were chosen to blend with the natural surroundings. Energy efficiency is exemplified not only by the siting of the buildings to take full advantage of solar orientation and tree shade, but also by a highly efficient exterior skin and the use of natural ventilation throughout. Potable water usage was significantly reduced by highly efficient plumbing fixtures.

The general contractor's waste management plan achieved a landfill diversion rate through construction of over 95%.

Owner & Occupancy

  • Owned and occupied by Lewis & Clark College, Corporation, nonprofit

Building Programs

Indoor Spaces: Living quarters, Lobby/reception, Dining, Restrooms
Outdoor Spaces: Parking, Garden—productive, Wildlife habitat, Garden—decorative, Pedestrian/non-motorized vehicle path

Keywords

Design charrette, Transportation benefits, Stormwater management, Efficient fixtures and appliances, Efficient irrigation, Graywater, Passive solar, Efficient lighting, On-site renewable electricity, Recycled materials, Local materials, Connection to outdoors, Daylighting, Natural ventilation, Low-emitting materials

Team & Process

Completed in Fall 2002, Roberts Hall was designed following a series of master planning, programming and building design workshops that took place several years earlier involving students who have since graduated. The workshops, to design three new residence halls, identified that the new buildings should attract Juniors and Seniors to reside on campus to enrich educational opportunities through closer interaction with faculty, staff, and peers. The desire to have these new buildings be long-lasting and durable in both their design and operations helped establish for the owner and the architect the initial goals that led the integrated design process.

Once a residential master plan was developed, the first phase building sites chosen, and a housing program and budget established, the design team grew to include subconsultants and the general contractor. This team met on a regular basis through completion of the project with the owner's team that included campus planning, facilities maintenance, and the student life housing group that operates the buildings. The architects led the process, introducing participants to green building concepts through eco-charrettes and educational papers. The eco-charrettes established the specific green building action items and assigned owners to each task. At each subsequent meeting, the progress towards achieving these goals was reviewed.

Existing houses that had to be removed to make way for the new buildings were deconstructed on site and recycled.

[](learnmore.cfm?ProjectID=148) [SERA Architects, Inc.](learnmore.cfm?ProjectID=148) Architect Portland, OR [http://www.serapdx.com](http://www.serapdx.com)
Anne Wachsler Lewis & Clark College Facilities Planning Department Owner/developer Portland, OR
David Aulwes Walker Macy Landscape Architects Landscape architect Portland, OR

The design team also included:

  • Mechanical engineer
  • Contractor
  • Interior designer
  • Civil engineer
  • Plumbing engineer
  • Electrical engineer
  • Structural engineer

Finance & Cost

The college took advantage of an innovative Portland Green Building Fund grant program and applied for assistance in paying for the costs of the energy modeling ($10,000). The City also provided an additional $10,000 to the college once LEED Silver certification was achieved. This money went toward offsetting the costs of LEED documentation.

Land Use & Community

Collectively, Roberts, East, and West Halls were designed to provide an entirely new community and sense of place within the existing campus. Prior to the master plan, the campus was automobile-dependent, and most students commuted by car. The college's sense of identity and quiet were disturbed by a network of auto-dominated streets and parking areas. The new residential master plan mandated that parking be concentrated along the campus perimeter. In addition to providing new campus housing and thereby reducing the environmental impacts of auto use, the college has begun limiting the number of parking spaces available on campus, raised parking fees, and increased shuttle-bus connections and availability.

Internally, the master plan establishes a system of pedestrian connections and public meeting places of varying character. Within this first phase of three buildings, a campus meeting area, with the size and feel of an Italian hill-town piazza, provides a focal point along a primary pedestrian route up the hill. Careful attention was paid to providing both collective socializing opportunities and individual privacy. The entire site provides full handicap accessibility.

  • Responsible Planning

    • Ensure that development fits within a responsible local and regional planning framework

  • Properties with Excessive Impacts

    • Avoid contributing to sprawl
  • Support for Appropriate Transportation

    • Design development to have pedestrian emphasis rather than automobile emphasis

    • Provide safe access for bicyclers and pedestrians
    • Provide showers and changing areas for bicycle and pedestrian commuters

    • Provide storage area for bicycles
    • Provide access to public transportation
    • Provide incentives for non-automobile commuting options
  • Property Selection Opportunities

    • Look for a property where infrastructure needs can be combined

Site Description

The new buildings were located to reduce site disturbance by replacing several existing single-family houses and retaining existing stands of large trees. In addition, the site was carefully planned to provide full wheelchair access over a steep slope. Careful attention was given to the placement and massing of the buildings to take advantage of the micro-climate provided by the trees and southern exposure. Open and sunny outdoor areas for student interaction alternate with shaded and more private wooded areas.

The site design also addresses stormwater runoff and avoids a pollution surcharge to nearby Tryon Creek. Roof runoff is connected to a campus-wide retention and filtration system. Pervious paving materials allow direct ground infiltration and bioswales collect and filter surface runoff. The total impervious area of the final design is slightly less than that of the original baseline conditions.

The landscaping of the site enhances the existing ecosystem. Native plant and tree species were chosen for their drought tolerance and ability to blend with surrounding vegetation. A temporary irrigation system will allow the landscaping to establish itself. Once established, the native landscaping will require little or no maintenance.

  • Lot size: 147,788 ft2
  • Previously developed land

Water Conservation and Use

Potable water is provided by highly efficient plumbing fixtures, showerheads, and laundry facilities. Estimated water use is 38% below the normal rate. Although rainwater harvesting and graywater reuse were explored by the design team, they were eliminated from the design due to the high cost of a secondary plumbing system and local plumbing code restrictions.

  • Development Impacts

    • Limit parking area
  • Runoff Reduction

    • Use planted swales instead of curbs and gutters
    • Install porous asphalt or concrete
  • Landscape Plantings

    • Landscape with indigenous vegetation
  • Managing Stormwater

    • Disconnect roof leaders and storm drains from conventional infrastructure

  • Demand for Irrigation

    • Select plants for drought tolerance
  • Integration with Site Resources

    • Celebrate and enhance existing landscape features
  • Siting Analysis

    • Investigate microclimate (specific variations from regional climatic conditions)

Energy

A passive design strategy allows the buildings to be solar assisted. The new buildings utilize an energy-efficient baseboard hydronic system for space heating, and operable windows negate the need for air-conditioning. Heat-recovery equipment recycles waste heat from the bathroom and kitchen return air. Typically on college campuses, enclosed double-loaded corridors are a significant energy drain due to required mechanical ventilation and lighting. The design team attacked this problem directly through an integrated natural ventilation and daylighting approach. The naturally ventilated, daylit corridors and lounge spaces reduce significantly the need for electric lighting. Energy-efficient lighting adds to the energy performance.

DOE-2 energy modeling shows that Roberts Hall (along with East and West halls) is anticipated to perform 23% better than Oregon Energy Code mandates. The buildings were commissioned according to a Lewis & Clark campus-wide policy for new buildings.

 

Materials & Resources

By specifying materials with high recycled content, the design team and general contractor were able to achieve above 90% of materials utilizing either 20% post-consumer recycled content or 40% post-industrial recycled content, by weight. Example materials include flyash-tempered concrete, processed steel and miscellaneous metals, cellulose insulation, recycled gypsum board, and recycled-content carpet.

Three-quarters (74%, by weight) of the all building materials were manufactured within a 500-mile radius, thereby reducing the environmental impacts of material transport. Of these materials, 64% were extracted or harvested within the 500-mile radius. Both rapidly renewable and sustainably harvested certified wood were specified for all rough framing, windows, cabinetry, casework, and interior wood finishes. In other areas, renewable materials such as linoleum and wheatboard were specified.

A convenient recycling storage and collection area fulfills the college's waste reduction program.

The existing, on-site, single-family houses were deconstructed and recycled rather than demolished. In addition, the general contractor established an aggressive construction waste management plan of 100% landfill diversion. The actual documented diversion rate was 99%.

Roberts Hall was designed for a 100-year life, and the apartments were designed to allow flexibility in their use. Conceived for single-student occupancy, each room's nine-foot bedroom ceiling allows for double occupancy or office use should it ever become a necessity. Building materials were chosen to create long-term value. Interior finishes were limited to highly durable materials, such as raw stained concrete floors in the interior corridors and public spaces in lieu of an applied floor finish. The exterior was designed to provide a long-term response to an average 34 inches rainfall and temperate climate.

  • Building Deconstruction

    • Recycle materials to be discarded from existing structure
  • Recycling by Occupants

    • Specify recycling receptacles that are accessible to the occupants

  • Toxic Upstream or Downstream Burdens

    • Use true linoleum flooring
  • Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Manufacture

    • Replace up to 30% of the cement in concrete with flyash
  • Post-Consumer Recycled Materials

    • Prefer insulation with high recycled content
    • Specify carpet made with recycled-content face fiber
  • Pre-Consumer Recycled Materials

    • Use agricultural-waste-fiber panels for millwork and interior finish

  • Materials and Wildlife Habitat

    • Use wood products from independently certified, well-managed forests for rough carpentry

    • Use wood products from independently certified, well-managed forests for finish carpentry

  • Transportation of Materials

    • Prefer materials that are sourced and manufactured within the local area

Indoor Environment

One of the main priorities of the project was the assurance of a healthy indoor environment. The natural ventilation strategy provides indoor air comfort instead of mechanical air-conditioning. Operable windows provide individual control in each living space, and a stack ventilation scheme provides comfort in the main lounge spaces. In addition, the main occupied spaces and corridors are provided with generous natural daylight and views to the outdoors. Carbon dioxide sensors and low-VOC materials—including all sealants, paints, floorcoverings, and adhesives—were specified to help assure healthy indoor air.

  • Visual Comfort and The Building Envelope

    • Use large exterior windows and high ceilings to increase daylighting

  • Ventilation and Filtration Systems

    • Provide occupants with access to operable windows
  • Reduction of Indoor Pollutants

    • Use only very low or no-VOC paints

Ratings

  • U.S. Green Building Council LEED-NC, v.2/v.2.1 in 2004;  achievement level: Silver (34 points)

    • Sustainable Sites, 9 of 14 possible points

      • SS Prerequisite 1, Erosion & Sedimentation Control
      • SS Credit 1, Site Selection
      • SS Credit 4.1, Alternative Transportation, Public Transportation Access

      • SS Credit 4.2, Alternative Transportation, Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms

      • SS Credit 4.4, Alternative Transportation, Parking Capacity
      • SS Credit 5.1, Reduced Site Disturbance, Protect or Restore Open Space

      • SS Credit 5.2, Reduced Site Disturbance, Development Footprint
      • SS Credit 6.1, Stormwater Management, Rate and Quantity
      • SS Credit 6.2, Stormwater Management, Treatment
      • SS Credit 7.1, Landscape & Exterior Design to Reduce Heat Islands, Non-Roof

    • Water Efficiency, 1 of 5 possible points

      • WE Credit 1.1, Water Efficient Landscaping, Reduce by 50%
    • Energy and Atmosphere, 5 of 17 possible points

      • EA Prerequisite 1, Fundamental Building Systems Commissioning
      • EA Prerequisite 2, Minimum Energy Performance
      • EA Prerequisite 3, CFC Reduction in HVAC&R Equipment
      • EA Credit 1.1a, Optimize Energy Performance, 15% New 5% Existing

      • EA Credit 1.1b, Optimize Energy Performance, 20% New 10% Existing

      • EA Credit 1.2a, Optimize Energy Performance, 25% New 15% Existing

      • EA Credit 3, Additional Commissioning
      • EA Credit 6, Green Power
    • Materials and Resources, 7 of 13 possible points

      • MR Prerequisite 1, Storage & Collection of Recyclables
      • MR Credit 2.1, Construction Waste Management, Divert 50%
      • MR Credit 2.2, Construction Waste Management, Divert 75%
      • MR Credit 4.1, Recycled Content: 5% (post-consumer + 1/2 post-industrial)

      • MR Credit 4.2, Recycled Content: 10% (post-consumer + 1/2 post-industrial)

      • MR Credit 5.1, Local/Regional Materials, 20% Manufactured Locally

      • MR Credit 5.2, Local/Regional Materials, of 20% Above, 50% Harvested Locally

      • MR Credit 6, Rapidly Renewable Materials
    • Indoor Environmental Quality, 7 of 15 possible points

      • EQ Prerequisite 1, Minimum IAQ Performance
      • EQ Prerequisite 2, Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
      • EQ Credit 4.1, Low-Emitting Materials, Adhesives & Sealants
      • EQ Credit 4.2, Low-Emitting Materials, Paints
      • EQ Credit 4.3, Low-Emitting Materials, Carpet
      • EQ Credit 5, Indoor Chemical & Pollutant Source Control
      • EQ Credit 6.1, Controllability of Systems, Perimeter
      • EQ Credit 8.1, Daylight & Views, Daylight 75% of Spaces
      • EQ Credit 8.2, Daylight & Views, Views for 90% of Spaces
    • Innovation and Design Process, 5 of 5 possible points

      • ID Credit 1.1, Innovation in Design "Exemplary Performance SSc7.1"

      • ID Credit 1.2, Innovation in Design "Exemplary Performance MRc2"

      • ID Credit 1.3, Innovation in Design "Exemplary Performance MRc5"

      • ID Credit 1.4, Innovation in Design "Low-Emitting Interior and Exterior Paints"

      • ID Credit 2, LEED® Accredited Professional

Lessons Learned

The owner was motivated from the very beginning to implement green building measures on the project, but only if they could be achieved on a conventional budget. Consequently, the energy analysis could not be performed until separate funding was identified. The energy analysis was actually completed while the building was under construction and essentially confirmed intuitive design decisions and measures that had already been implemented. Certainly, if the analysis had been performed in the schematic design phase, a greater impact on the design solution and energy savings could have been realized.

Another important lesson was in the attempted use of FSC-certified wood. Due to miscommunication and the learning curve required by the general contractor and their subcontractors in understanding the chain-of-custody requirements, the general contractor was unable to verify the actual certified wood content in the project. The owner did pay a premium for the use of certified wood, estimated at over 50% of the total wood usage in formwork, rough framing, windows, and finish carpentry. More emphasis on contractor education as to implementing green building measures in the beginning of the project would have simplified the process.

Learn More

It is possible to visit this project. One dorm in a project of three similar buildings is profiled here. The project is located on the Lewis & Clark College campus in Portland, Oregon.

SERA Architects, Inc. Architect 123 NW 2nd Avenue Portland, OR  97209 503-445-7372 [http://www.serapdx.com](http://www.serapdx.com)