PULLMAN – On the eastern edge of the Evergreen State, the Olympia Avenue residence hall on the WSU Pullman campus is as green as it gets.
“Everything in that building is sustainable,” said project architect Ron Van der Veen, a principal at Mithun Architects, Seattle. Van der Veen said materials used in construction are either reclaimed, recycled or rapidly renewable.
The building, which houses 230 students, opened this fall, but a grand opening celebration is scheduled for Thursday at 5 p.m.
“It’s a very significant student housing project on the West Coast,” he said, and it is likely to receive a LEED Silver rating.
Despite the atypical speed at which the building was designed and built – discussions began in late fall 2007 and the building opened in August – everyone working on the project was clear about the objectives.
For instance, he said, decisions were evaluated according to a few key criteria: Will this make the building more sustainable? Will this be simple to construct and maintain? Will this foster community within the building?
“It’s a simple building, but it’s a very sophisticated building,” Van der Veen said.
For instance, one small change made a huge difference. Most towns are laid out on a north-south grid, he said, with the result that north-facing windows fact directly north and south windows face south. This building was oriented seven degrees to the east. By making that small change, he said, the sun no longer hits the south-facing windows dead on and the result will be a significant reduction in energy consumption.
Other innovative features include a geothermal field adjacent to the building that provides energy-efficient heating and cooling, natural day lighting, sun-shading devices that allow more sun exposure during winter months and less during summer months, site restoration with natural habitat and vegetation, water-efficient landscaping, stormwater collection and reuse for irrigation, a reflective roof to reduce heat-island effect, and reduction of light pollution.
According to Van der Veen, the design concept began with the idea that each floor was a street. As in any vibrant neighborhood, there are spaces for people to gather quietly, a space for more active engagement, a place to do laundry and a place to cook or gather for a snack. In addition, each floor has various types of living arrangements, from single rooms with private bathrooms to shared rooms and shared bathrooms.
Louise Sweeney, WSU project manager, said her favorite feature of the building is the multipurpose room, which she describes as awe-inspiring. With reclaimed wood panels set at various depths, the angles catch the light that pours in from massive, two-story floor-to-ceiling windows and give the room a warm, sculptural feeling.
“My other favorite thing is that there are pretty much great views from every window,” she said, “Everything has a window.”
In fact, most rooms have oversized windows.
“It makes the room feel bigger and it connects you to the outdoors,” Van der Veen said.
Connecting students to each other and to the outdoors was a conscious part of the design process, he said, and it all seemed to come together.
Connecting students to each other and to the outdoors was a conscious part of the design process, he said, and it all seemed to come together.
“It ended up being one of the funnest university projects that we’ve done,” he said.
