Wheaton College | Passive House
Wheaton College contains 45,000 square feet and 178 beds for undergraduate student housing, with a mix of singles and doubles.
This residence hall will contain 45,000 square feet and 178 beds for undergraduate student housing, with a mix of singles and doubles. Its frame is steel with metal stud backup and brick and metal rainscreen.
Sustainability is a key theme in concept, materials, and construction. The target of the project is Passive House (PHIUS) certification, but the energy performance goals - including a projected Energy Use Intensity of 20 KBTU/ SF/Year - are sufficiently aggressive to meet Net Zero or even Net Positive standards. Benefits extend to financial savings: The envelope, windows, rooftop PVs, and HVAC systems are all fine-tuned to PHIUS criteria, making the Lower Campus Residence Hall one of the lowest cost-per-student living facilities in the Northeast.
The building completes the quadrangle of lower campus residential buildings, and features a common room. SGA's design also incorporates the campus green adjacent to the buildings, providing views and connections to the main campus.