Nestled in the center of UW-Madison’s lakeshore neighborhood, Aldo Leopold Residence Hall seamlessly blends with its surroundings in close proximity to Lake Mendota. The 64,400 square foot building offers space for 172 undergraduate students in a smaller, community-style building that encourages interaction between residents and facilities with living-learning experiences as the home for the Greenhouse Learning Community. With its one-of-a-kind fourth floor greenhouse, an on-site classroom, kitchen, laundry facilities, and other amenities, Aldo Leopold Residence Hall is much more than a modern college domicile. It is a place for residents to learn, thrive, and succeed both academically and socially, all in a place to call home.
As the most sustainably constructed facility on campus, the announcement of achieving LEED Gold certification is celebrated by the entire team. LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. The Gold level certification is the second-highest level possible in their rating system.
Named after a UW-professor and renowned conservationist, Aldo Leopold was designed and constructed with renewable materials, energy efficiency and environmental design in mind – complete with a rooftop greenhouse for learning.
The hall was designed by Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA), and features additional sustainable features, including:
- Roof-mounted solar panels
- Individual climate controls in each room
- Dual level lighting, daylighting and occupancy sensors
- Energy air exhaust recovery wheel
- Green power (wind)
- Parking for more than 100 bicycles
JP Cullen, the Construction Manager, oversaw eco-conscious building practices were developed and followed as well, including:
- 88 percent of construction waste diverted from landfills
- 47 percent locally extracted/manufactured materials
- 31 percent reduction in water runoff
