Talking Stick - September/October 2009 - 8

JUST IN SPOTLIGHT University of North CarolinaWilmington (Wilmington, North Carolina) Name: Seahawk Crossing Opened: August 2009 Cost: $56 million Architect: Clarke Nexzen The Wilmington branch of the University of North Carolina is participating in a trend that is turning into a standard for higher education facilities: the need for LEED certiﬁcation. Seahawk Crossing, a residential community made up of four three-story buildings, will be the ﬁrst LEED project on the campus. Seahawk Crossing is the third and ﬁnal part of the branch’s privatized housing program, which aims to increase on-campus housing to 40 percent and to 4,000 beds. Each phase took about 14 months, with Seahawk Village (opened in July 2006) and Seahawk Landing (opened in July 2007) adding about 1,100 beds to the 2,300 beds already in place. Seahawk Crossing will add 662 beds to this number, allowing the branch to reach its goal. All construction was ﬁnanced by bonds sold by the UNC-Wilmington Corporation, but buildings are managed by the university. As the ﬁrst LEED-certiﬁed building for UNCWilmington, Seahawk Crossing includes a variety of green features and construction methods. To reach the LEED Certiﬁed level, 85 percent of construction materials must be recycled; Seahawk Crossing is up to about 90 percent, according to Ed Shuford, director of project management. The green features include low-ﬂow plumbing devices, air-charged toilet tanks, low-VOC carpets made from 35 percent recycled content, opening windows, ceiling fans, and storm water retention systems underground between the buildings. There is also a parking deck, taking up 25 percent less paved area than a parking lot, which includes bicycle parking and plug-in parking for electric vehicles. All of the Seahawk complexes exclusively house upperclass students. “The vast majority of housing before was taken up by freshmen,” says Shuford. 8 TALKING STICK “Upperclassmen would move off campus because they didn’t have a choice. Now they have that choice.” To create an environment conducive to the needs of upperclass students, each complex provides fully furnished apartments with private bedrooms, fully equipped kitchens, private closets, and one bathroom per two students, along with a washer and dryer for each apartment. Seahawk Crossing offers four-, six-, or eight-person suites. The buildings of Seahawk Crossing will also include two game rooms, 100-person meeting rooms, a music practice room, and a retail building, which will house a convenience store and a Dunkin’ Donuts. However, Shuford says the school is most proud of their entrance into the LEED community: “The concept of LEED certiﬁcation is consistent with the direction of UNC — more sustainable facilities. The goal of the university is that all projects be at least LEED-Certiﬁed from now on.”

Talking Stick - September/October 2009

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