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Students living in the new West Quad residence hall, it could be said, are taking an extra course this semester.
Call it Planet Earth 201, a yearlong lab for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. There are no texts to buy and the commute to class is a breeze, but the instruction is a bit unorthodox—students are learning from the four-building complex itself.
Everything about West Quad was planned with an eye toward the wise use, and reuse, of the Earth’s resources. There is no stairway, hallway, or study nook that hasn’t been configured to protect or conserve environmental resources.
Inside, the carpet is composed of recycled content that gives off no carbon dioxide emissions; when it must be replaced, it will be recycled again. Inexpensive light shelves sit atop southerly exposed windows, bouncing heat back outside while providing plenty of natural light inside. Room sensors detect motion and are programmed to turn lights on and off as people enter or exit a room. An internal air quality plan ensures clean air. There are recycling centers on every floor. A café strives to offer more “green” products, with carryout food being put into recycled plastic containers.
Outside, solar panels on top of one of the buildings collect the sun’s energy and preheat West Quad’s water. A rooftop garden will aid in cooling the building. The complex is located near the campus core so students can walk or bike to class. Bike racks stand at every major entrance, and riders can shower and change in a first-floor shower area created especially for them. The composting of food waste is encouraged, and a self-enclosed Earth Tub will turn the waste into landscape mulch.
USC is only the third university in the country to plan and construct a green complex like West Quad, which will qualify for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. That will change, predicts Environmental Programs Manager Michael Koman once other universities discover that West Quad was built at the cost of a conventional residence hall.
“At the end of the day, green space costs the same to construct and run as non-green buildings,” said Gene Luna, University Housing director. “And in the long run, the green space costs less. This residence hall is larger than East Quad (the last residence hall constructed on campus), but it will cost 50 percent less to run energy wise. This year, the West Quad’s first year, we’ll see about a $40,000 savings on electrical costs, and about $40,000 savings on water.”
Several faculty members across campus will use the complex to conduct their own environmental research. Chemical engineering research professor Tom Davis will conduct fuel cell research. Laslo Marton, a biology professor, and his students will use a variety of plants to filter rainwater that can, for example, be used to water shrubs, trees, and other plants around the complex. Art faculty member David Voros will fill the lobbies and hallways with students’ work that focuses on environmental themes. Geography faculty associate Kirstin Dow will be the faculty director of the West Quad Learning Center, which will serve as a magnet to bring faculty and students to the complex.
Faculty and staff also will be able to enjoy the space when natural light-filled classroom space and seminar rooms are soon completed.
Offices in the West Quad will open Oct. 7.
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