Cator, Ruma & Associates was selected to provide the Mechanical and Electrical design and Construction Administration for the design of two new residential buildings to house 615 students and a centrally located common building (The Pavilion) on the site of the former Lory Apartments (built in the 1950s). The North residential building is 96,000 square feet and five stories, and the South residential building is 75,000 square feet and five stories. Both residences include student rooms and a mix of private and community bathrooms. The Pavilion is 11,000 square feet, two stories, and provides programming, lounge, meeting spaces, and a space for the annual Art & Science Exhibition for Laurel Village residents.
The design intent for all the buildings in Laurel Village was to integrate academics into living/residential areas and to facilitate meetings, community interaction, and support for students. 20,000 square feet of academic program space includes:
- Academic commons with two science classrooms
- Offices for faculty members, etc., including the director of the College of Natural Science Community
- Outdoor classroom and an outdoor amphitheater
The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design was very innovative in that it was boasts very low energy use while remaining low cost.
The Residence Halls are rated LEED Gold and incorporate the following sustainable systems: variable refrigerant flow HVAC system, energy recovery ventilation, and condensing water heaters.
Lighting design combined lower energy light sources and high quality residential “style” luminaires to create a comfortable environment that still meets todays sustainable requirements. Several lighting and plug load control strategies were considered for the sleep rooms including vacancy sensors and daylight sensors. In the end, the University chose to provide manual control with accommodations for future automatic control.
The Pavilion is rated LEED New Construction (NC) Platinum and incorporates the following sustainable systems: a katabatic cooling tower, passive heating and cooling systems within the tower structure, trombe wall, variable refrigerant flow HVAC system, and energy recovery ventilator.
The Pavilion is the 18th building at CSU to achieve LEED certification and the fourth within Housing & Dining Services.
