Living Green

Florida Atlantic dorm goes green

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Boca Raton's Florida Atlantic University is building its first ultra eco-friendly dormitory as part of a national promise school officials made to promote environmental responsibility.

The 600-bed residence hall, which will cater to older students with kitchens and private bedrooms, will also include low-flow showerheads and toilets, waterless urinals, and Energy Star appliances that reduce electrical needs.

The goal is to meet national environmental standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, or LEED.

If the designation is awarded, FAU could have the first LEED certified residence hall in the state.

"This is the direction the university is moving toward," said Azita Dashtaki, assistant vice president for FAU's division of facilities. "We made a commitment that all new facilities would be built to a certain standard."

Last year, FAU President Frank Brogan signed the American College University Presidents Climate Commitment, which asks schools to address global warming with measures such as recycling, using alternative fuel vehicles, and constructing energy efficient buildings.

FAU already has one building, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, that is LEED certified. The College of Engineering and Computer Science is also seeking the certification.

While FAU's new $50.6 million residence hall may be the first in the state to earn LEED certification, it won't be the first built with the environment in mind.

New College of Florida, in Sarasota, used LEED guidelines to build five new residence halls for 213 students, but decided not to go through the certification process, which officials said would have cost $100,000.

Several universities nationally are foregoing the official certification to avoid its costs. FAU will decide after the project is done whether to seek the certification, officials said.

John Martin, New College's vice president for finance and administration, said designing environmentally friendly student housing isn't much different from designing environmentally friendly office buildings.

Florida has about 30 buildings certified LEED, including at least nine at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

"It makes sense," Martin said. "It incorporates natural lighting, indoor air quality and regionally accessible products."

FAU's new dorm, which is part of the Innovation Village development that includes a football stadium and retail shops, is expected to open in fall 2009. The stadium is scheduled to follow a year later.

Construction projects earn points toward different LEED certification levels for doing things such as using glues and paints that don't give off gasses that "stink up the place," Martin said.

Also, points are given for using recycled materials and reducing water use.

Melissa Gallagher-Rogers, who oversees higher education construction reviews for the U.S. Green Building Council, said some schools are using new dual flush toilets in dorms to conserve water.

The National Energy Policy Act requires that toilets use no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush.

Dual flush toilets give users two options of using the full 1.6 gallons, or half that amount.

"It all depends on the volume of waste," said Gallagher-Rogers, who added that she's heard few complaints from students about low-flow toilets or showerheads. "The students really understand how their actions impact energy and water use."