Construction for Cypress Hall, the University’s first sustainable residential building, began this summer and is set to open its doors to students for the fall 2015 semester.
The $24.6 million building will be certified according to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system and will feature eco-friendly features like water collection systems and energy- efficient mechanics, according to Residential Life Director Steven Waller.
The design also includes an electric-car charging station, two large indoor classrooms, outdoor spaces, courtyards and interior bike storage.
When construction for Cypress Hall is completed during spring 2015, the University will begin renovating older residential buildings like Evangeline Hall, which will receive a complete overhaul, according to associate director of Residential Life Jay High.
Before construction on Cypress Hall began, Kirby Smith Hall and Annie Boyd Hall were the most recently renovated residential life buildings, High said.
Kirby Smith was intended to be designated as conference housing after the completion of Cypress Hall, but increased housing demands from students have delayed those plans, Waller said.
More upperclassmen are choosing to live on campus than ever before, Waller said, and with larger freshman classes each year, ResLife is challenged to provide housing for those who want it.
But adding features like kitchens and study rooms during renovations causes ResLife to lose 20 to 30 percent of beds in that hall, according to Waller.