Theoretically, college is a learning experience. Certainly University of North Florida’s new residence hall, Osprey Fountains embodies the ideal of taking new information and applying it to practical purposes. Located eleven miles from the beach in Jacksonville, fl, Osprey Fountains is energy efficient, resident-centric and environmentally friendly. UNF’s housing authority collaborated with design/ build firm The Haskell Company to design the 1000 bed student housing facility. Harwil Fixtures fabricated all the casework for the project. Some of the innovative features of the building are easy to see simply by walking around the property. But a closer look reveals how carefully the creative team planned even the smallest details of Osprey Fountains.

College students, in general, are not the most maintenance- oriented group of residents. In addition to being short-term occupants they are busy people (think studying, socializing and surfing). At UNF, Osprey Gardens does more then offer great amenities and a convenient location, it also provides an environment that teaches students to be conscientious residents.

A STUDY IN GREEN

Paul Riel is the UNF Director of Housing. “UNF is dedicated to green initiatives. Any new building must be designed to meet at least Silver LEED certification,” says Riel. “There are costs associated with getting the actual certification, but we are committed to creating sustainable and maintainable buildings, and LEED is a great tool for that.” The facility has many devices built-in that contribute to energyefficiency. Even seemingly small gains become substantial when multiplied by 1000 residents over time.

One of the non-traditional building features of Osprey Fountains is the I galvalum roof, which has a reflective f factor as well as insulating properties. Although the initial cost is higher then a traditional roof, it has a long life span of 50-75 years and contributes to energy efficiency. All the lighting in common I spaces and hallways uses sensors, so I they are only on when people are pres- I ent. Within student bedrooms residents can control the lighting, but an automatic shut-off feature makes sure that no one leaves the lights on when they head off to the library.

Several devices are in place to make wise use of water. For example, Jacksonville is so hot and humid that there are many days in the year where air conditioning is not optional. Osprey Fountains has a system that captures the hot water bi-product from the commercial AC system for reuse as potable water. The bathrooms showcase several water-saving devices including waterless urinals. And the low-flow toilets flush in two directions. Turning the handle in one direction uses minimal water for liquid waste.

To improve the indoor air quality of the residence hall all of the casework throughout the kitchenettes, suites and common areas was constructed out of Roseburg SkyBlend. “We used SkyBlend white twosided particle board for all the box construction, the the SkyBlend with a maple one-face was used for all the doors,” says Louis Cici, President of Harwil Fixtures. The maple is a Wilsonart design, and was laid up at Roseburg before the panels shipped to the manufacturing facility. Before installation, Harwil added a 3mm PVC edge to the doors. “With the PVC rounded over the corners, the doors become a lot more resistant to chipping,” explains Cici. In this case the PVC was supplied by Charter Industries and applied with a specialty station on a large edgebander. HPL was used to finish all of the exposed ends of the casework. “School facilities are heavy-traffic high-use areas. Not only did UNF want to make certain that the interior was healthy, but that it would last,” says Cici.

STUDENT FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT

Osprey Fountains is comprised of four, fivestory buildings that contain mostly four-room suites, with a handful of six-room suites and private rooms. Each floor has its own kitchen that services about 50 students. As a residence hall, it goes way beyond sleeping quarters. There is a sports lounge for fans, an aerobics studio, fitness center, game room, convenience store, bean bag lounge, wii lounge, lazy river, track, basketball court, sand volleyball court, pool and putting green. Smart machines in the laundry room will send a text message when a load is finished or a dryer is free. There is even a surfboard washing station for those who like to catch a few early morning waves before class.

An additional bonus to living at Osprey Fountains is the educational value of the careful design, which also contributes to LEED points. Residents are made aware of the special features built into Osprey Fountains that help increase energy efficiency and indoor air quality. UNF has even adopted a streamlined recycling program that allows for off-site sorting, making it easier for students to recycle. “From a building owners perspective, Osprey Fountains is designed and built in a way that allows us to utilize resources and minimize maintenance, yet it is still a very comfortable place to live,” says Riel. Students are not required to live on campus, but a residence hall as safe, comfortable and sustainable as Osprey Fountains make it a preferred choice for student housing.