Moseley Architects’ renovation and addition to O’Shaughnessy Hall at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) recently earned the Green Building Certification Institute’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certification.
Completed in 2018, design updates transitioned the facility from a traditional dormitory residence hall to a residential college living environment. This creates a living and learning experience by incorporating a classroom, offices and a faculty residence, allowing students and faculty to extend the learning environments beyond the classroom.
Notable sustainable design features include low-flow restroom fixtures, non-potable water for use in irrigation, replacement LED lighting and energy efficient upgrades to the envelope and to the windows. Embodied energy use was reduced through reuse of more than 60% of the existing building, and new building materials contained over 20% recycled and regionally sourced material. A construction indoor air quality plan and the use of low-emitting building materials help to maintain the exceptional indoor air quality vital in a residential setting. New water efficiency measures will save an estimated 2.2 million gallons of water per year.
Sustainability features in design and construction include:
Materials and Resources
- 87% of construction waste diverted from landfills
- 20% of building materials composed of recycled content
- 32% of building materials extracted and manufactured within 500 miles of the project site
Indoor Air Quality
- An indoor air quality management plan for workers during the construction and preoccupancy phases
- Low VOC adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings
- Floorscore®-certified flooring materials
- Composite wood products that contain no added urea formaldehyde
- Individual lighting and thermal comfort controls for building occupants
Project Team
Architecture: Moseley Architects
Construction: W.M. Jordan Company