WOU residence hall achieves LEED Platinum

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Western Oregon University's Ackerman Hall is the first large-scale, new construction residence hall in the country to achieve the LEED Platinum certification

Western Oregon University on Wednesday said its newest residence hall has achieved LEED Platinum certification.

That makes Ackerman Hall the first large-scale, new construction residence hall in the nation to receive LEED Platinum, the highest green building designation issued by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Ackerman Hall opened to 330 students last September at the Monmouth, Ore., campus.

The facility includes a rainwater harvest system that collects rainwater used for flushing toilets, solar panels and heat ducts that heat air and water, occupancy sensors that shut off lights in unoccupied rooms, and low-flow water devices in all restrooms.

It also makes use of repurposed wood taken from trees removed from the building site, and features an outdoor courtyard surface covered with recycled glass material that helps water filter through the material and be absorbed into the soil.

In its first year of operation, the university projects the building cut its electricity use by 35 percent and produced water savings of nearly 75 percent that of a comparable building of its size.

“The building was filled to capacity for much of the first year and the waiting list to live in Ackerman Hall in the fall is impressive,” Tina Fuchs, the university’s dean of students, said in a news release. “I believe the interest in this building really speaks to the planning and thoughtfulness that went into the design and construction.”