Third TCU Residence Hall Earns LEED Gold

January 21, 2015 1690 Views Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, Baby-Friendly USA, Central U.S., George C. Zoley, Grossmont Hospital, James Case, Kimball Office, Meridian Health System, Regina Filipowicz, United Nations Children’s Fund

DALLAS — Opened in August 2014, Marlene Moss Hays Hall is the third and latest residence hall in Texas Christian University ‘s (TCU) new Worth Hills Village development to receive LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

Marlene Moss Hays Hall was designed by KSQ Architects of Tulsa, Okla. The building is 65,000 square feet and four stories tall. It houses approximately 160 students with suite-style housing, including a combination of two- to four-bed suites. It was named in honor of Spencer and Marlene Hays for their recent leadership gift.

The building boasts a variety of energy-saving and sustainable features. At least 70 percent of the building’s energy comes from a renewable source. Additionally, more than 20 percent of the products used in construction were locally or regionally manufactured, and the materials selected include products with high-recycled content. Special product and fixture selections also help ensure water usage is reduced by more than 40 percent versus standard facilities. Reformulating custom Ludowici roof tiles helped to reduce heat island effect, and a reflective pavement decreases the building’s heat gain.

The residence hall — built for sophomores — has the greatest ratio of common space per student of any building on the TCU campus. Each floor has a common area and study rooms, and every student suite in Hays Hall has their own living room and at least one en suite bathroom.

KSQ Architects has provided architectural services for more than 16 new or renovated residence halls on the TCU campus since 1995. KSQ teamed with Dallas-based The Beck Group; Wallace Engineering of Tulsa, Okla.; Huitt-Zollars of Dallas; Dunaway Associates of Fort Worth, Texas; and Newman Jackson Bieberstein of Plano, Texas on the project.

“TCU, KSQ, and our team partners set LEED Gold as a specific goal on this residence hall project,” said KSQ principal and president David W. Short, in a statement. “It’s such an honor to help TCU achieve its sustainability goals while also helping create a true and outstanding residential campus.”