Green Design & Buildings

Residence hall at Western Michigan University gets LEED Gold certification

The 750-student Western Heights Hall opened on the Kalamazoo campus in 2015.
July 6, 2017

Western Heights Hall, a student residence at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, has received LEED Gold certification for its environmentally friendly design and construction.

The 750-student housing complex opened in 2015 and is the first new residence hall on the campus in nearly 50 years.

The residence hall has been designed to promote a sense of community and encourage socialization among students. It has two Y-shaped buildings with living space that is organized into houses, each of which is home to about 35 students.

Its sustainable design elements include high-efficiency heating and cooling, water conservation, energy-efficient insulation, exterior sunscreens, tinted glass and an EnergyStar roof.

Western Heights also aims to teach students through its sustainable features. The university desired a didactic green building with visible design strategies that residents could see and understand. Educational materials are on display to explain the design—from a distinctive lobby featuring salvaged granite window sills and gymnasium flooring to rain gardens that reduce and treat storm water runoff. External sunscreens, Thermochromic glazing and a high-efficiency heat pump mechanical system also showcase the latest technologies for efficiently heating and cooling the building complex.

The architect is Lord Aeck Sargent.

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy, senior editor, has written for AS&U on a wide range of educational issues since 1999.

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