Lawrence University Hiett Residence Hall

Boldt gives Lawrence students room to move

By Rebecca R. Konya

Located on a hillside and extending toward the Fox River, the new Hiett Residence Hall on the Lawrence University campus in Appleton was designed both to maximize views of the river and minimize the storm-water impact on it.

General contractor Oscar J. Boldt Construction, Appleton, and architect VOA Associates Inc., Chicago, incorporated into the design of the new residence hall several green features, including recycled construction materials, high-performance tinted glass, an efficient in-floor radiant heating system and exhaust-air heat recovery systems.

The design also includes bio-swales that reduce the amount of solids introduced by storm water into the Fox River and maintain generous green space to assure minimum impact on the four-acre site and the river that borders it. The Wisconsin Green Building Alliance selected the residence hall as a case study, and the university is seeking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR designation for superior energy performance.

Project manager Blaine Tuchscherer said the project prompted several members of Boldt to seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design accreditation. A voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings, LEED recognizes achievements and promotes expertise in green building through a comprehensive system offering project certification, professional accreditation, training and practical resources.

The 79,500-square-foot building, which houses 183 students in suite-style accommodations, is the first new residence hall at Lawrence since 1967. The new dormitory satisfies the need for additional student housing.

"Students were doubling and tripling up, and lounge areas were being converted into rooms," said Tuchscherer of the housing shortage. "There was definitely a capacity problem."

Before construction began, the builder erected full-scale mockups of each room configuration at its Appleton warehouse. Students and university officials were encouraged to tour the site and offer their input.

"It was an exact replica down to the paint colors, carpeting and furniture," said Tuchscherer. "It's a nice way to get the bugs out of the system early."

The mockups also served as a test site to help the general contractor decide the sequence of construction work.

"It helped us make installations as economic as possible," Tuchscherer said.

	Project name: Lawrence University Hiett Residence Hall Location: Appleton Submitting Company: Oscar J. Boldt Construction, Appleton General Contractor: Oscar J. Boldt Construction Architect: VOA Associates Inc., Chicago Engineer: Fredericksen Engineering, Mequon, HVAC engineer; Metro Design Associates Inc., Schaumburg, Ill., electrical engineer; Omnni Associates, Appleton, plumbing engineer Owner: Lawrence University Project Cost: $15.6 million Start Date: April 2002 Completion Date: August 2000

Perhaps one of the most prominent features of the new residence hall is a fireplace in a study used by the university's Geology Department. The impressive structure is built from 3.6-billion-year-old Precambrian stone salvaged from the exterior façade of a former JCPenney in downtown Appleton.

Tuchscherer said the university's Geology Department often took field trips to the former JCPenney site to study the Precambrian stone. When a geology professor learned the department store was being torn down, she suggested Boldt find a way to use the prehistoric rock in the residence hall's design.

"We considered incorporating it into the building's landscaping, using it on benches or the sidewalk, but ultimately settled on the fireplace," said Tuchscherer. "It's used extensively on the hearth and face. It has a very nice application — almost like black granite."