When the Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C., needed a new residence hall to accommodate its growing student body, a number of issues surfaced quickly. As with any project, cost was a consideration, but the new residence hall would be a campus fixture and must stand up to years of heavy student use. Environmental concerns played a part in the choices made — CUA already planned to pursue LEED® certification for the building. Energy efficiency was a goal, not only as part of the LEED process, but also as contributor to lifecycle costs. The residence hall needed to blend with the traditional brick and limestone “campus gothic” style of nearby buildings. And, as if this lengthy list of considerations wasn’t enough, construction was scheduled for January and February, making weather conditions yet another factor.
For the first time in the university’s 119-year history, design-build was the project delivery method of choice. After an intensely competitive selection process, in January of 2007, CUA chose Opus East, LLC, of Rockville, Md., to design and build the new residence hall. Opus was chosen on the basis of its master-planning experience and concepts and integration of the university’s programming requirements, implementation schedule and cost. The design team included Opus Architects & Engineers as architect and engineer of record, Little Diversified Architectural Consulting as design architect, Schlenger/Pitz & Associates for MEP design and A. Morton Thomas for civil engineering.
While the design of the building was traditional, everything inside would be state-of-the-art — hard-wired data, cable TV and phone jacks in both individual rooms and shared spaces. Modern safety factors, such as fire resistance, were important considerations and the university recognized the need for sound abatement.
With these requirements in mind, the design-build team decided precast concrete should be seriously considered. Aesthetic concerns about precast concrete were dispelled when Gate Precast of Oxford, N.C., provided sample panels of inlay brick with limestone finish accents. “We were nervous about the panels at first because we had all seen the earlier generation of brick covered precast that did not look like real brick at all,” says Beth Buffington, AIA, LEED AP, Little & Associates’ project architect. “On a traditional campus like Catholic, we were very concerned that this would be obvious and look commercial and artificial. I have to say that our panels are beautiful. They look exactly like hand-set masonry. There are even slight variations in the planes of the individual bricks.”
According to Barry Max Boyd, project manager for Opus East, this addressed several cost and schedule issues simultaneously. “The original motivation for selecting these panels was that the erection was scheduled for December-February,” Boyd notes. “Precast permits us to get the building closed in quicker and with less cost than conventional light-gauge framing, sheathing and masonry. Delays in permitting pushed the erection out of the winter months but we could still get the building enclosed faster with precast.”
Precast eliminated concerns about curing freshly poured concrete in winter and speedy erection meant that meant that interior work could move forward quickly. Precast erection began in mid-February of 2008 and the final installation of all precast components was complete on April 3. In just six weeks, 70,000 square feet of panels were installed.
The panels were cast with both interior and exterior air films and insulation at the core, making a highly energy efficient structure. Complete exterior and interior finishes reduced the need for additional time and materials. The interior surface has a low-maintenance trowel finish.
Points for LEED certification were gained and energy efficiency goals achieved through the use of precast. The insulation at the core of each panel results in an extremely high material R-value — infrared pictures of the building show very little heat loss through the walls. Since the panels were cast in the general region, and the materials used were also available locally, a minimum of transportation was involved. In addition, the panels have a high percentage of recycled and renewable resource content and, in the event of demolition, are largely recyclable. These solid panels have no interior cavities to collect moisture, rendering them mildew resistant. The building has high interior air quality, with low VOC content. The fire resistance rating of over four hours exceeds code requirements.
The overall environmental impact of the project was also minimized. Design innovations reduced the amount of concrete used and the amount of energy and raw materials consumed in manufacturing, transporting and erecting the panels. Using thin brick for the inlay provided additional savings in material and manufacturing costs. The precast installation involved less site disturbance than more traditional methods — another plus for LEED certification — and reduced interruptions to daily life on campus.
Opus Hall opened the first week of January 2009, allowing students to move in before the start of classes on January 12. The project was completed, from groundbreaking to move-in, in less than two years. Designed to house 400 students, the building is seven stories of suites, each consisting of one double and three single bedrooms and a common living room. Each has a lavatory, shower and double sinks. In addition to the suites’ living rooms, there is a large community/lounge space which includes a fireplace, a “contemplative space” for small prayer groups or other quiet activities for individuals or small groups, a central laundry, a study area and a 2,100-square-foot outdoor terrace.
A single materials choice can make a real difference. Environmentally conscious, cost-effective, practical and consistent with the appearance of the existing campus buildings, precast concrete proved an ideal solution for the Catholic University of America.
Todd Rich is DBIA’s manager of web and graphic systems.