Osprey Hall has been recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council for its environmentally conscious design and construction.
It’s the third residence hall to be certified at the Silver level for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). FGCU’s Music Building and Marieb Hall are rated Gold, and Academic Building 7 is Platinum, the highest level.
The nonprofit Green Building Council is the nation’s leading advocate for ensuring a sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving “green” buildings. Its widely respected rating system provides rigorous independent verification that buildings are designed and constructed to save energy, conserve water, reduce carbon-dioxide emissions, improve air quality and demonstrate stewardship of resources.
“The LEED certification for Osprey Hall underscores FGCU’s continuing commitment to sustainability initiatives — not only in curriculum and degree programs but in facilities, landscaping and operations,” President Wilson G. Bradshaw said. “It’s a cornerstone of our mission, and we are proud to lead the community in working toward a more sustainable future.”
Designed by Harper Aiken Donahue Partners, Osprey Hall opened in fall 2012 in FGCU’s South Village, with 170 three-bedroom suites serving as home for 533 students. The six-story building’s LEED features include rooftop solar panels for heating water, an energy recovery unit to improve air conditioning systems management, low-flow faucets and dual-flush toilets, LED lighting in hallways and sensor-activated lighting in most common areas.
FGCU is committed to integrating environmental sustainability practices throughout the campus community. Its 15-acre solar field produces enough energy to power three academic buildings — the equivalent of hundreds of homes. The university’s Central Energy Plant features one of Florida’s largest ice thermal storage plants, which supplies the chilled water pumped through an underground network of pipes to cool campus buildings; the plant generates ice at night when public demand and utility rates for electricity are lower.
For more information, contact Facilities Planning at (239) 590-1504.