Western Oregon University (WOU) is a small state college in Monmouth, Oregon with a student body of roughly 6,200 people. Their mission is to create lasting opportunities for student success through transformative education and personalized support. With a growing campus, WOU set out to create a new residence hall that was a true “live/learn” dormitory, where students would want to live and learn the importance of sustainability.
Mahlum Architects was brought onboard to design the new campus housing building to create a strong connection to academic and residential life. Wanting to make a statement about environmental stewardship, Mahlum designed Ackerman Hall with a rainwater harvesting system that reduces potable water usage by 50% and two types of solar pre-heat systems that contribute to a 35% reduction in energy consumption.
Outside the building, the walkways and fire lanes employ the use of Eco-Priora permeable interlocking concrete pavers from Mutual Materials, keeping with the emphasis on sustainability. Using a mix of both the 4″ x 8″ and 8″ x 8″ units for the pedestrian areas these permeable pavers work by exfiltrating the majority of stormwater directly into the soil, minimizing runoff that carries heavy metals into the storm drains, reducing erosion and eliminating heat-island effect.
WRG Design was the engineer for the project, while Atlas Landscape Architecture designed the surrounding landscape, and C & D Landscape installed the permeable pavers.
The completion of Ackerman Hall resulted in the first large-scale new construction residence hall in the United States to receive a LEED Platinum rating from the USGBC.
If you’re interested in learning more about how our permeable pavers can help with your stormwater management issues on pedestrian or vehicular surfaces, please contact us at 1-888-688-8250 to speak with a commercial hardscape sales representative.
Citations:
- Western Oregon University
- City of Monmouth, Oregon
- United States Green Building Council
- Mutual Materials
- Mutual Materials – Eco-Priora Permeable Pavers
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