CSULB Parkside
North Residence Hall

• LEED BD+C v4 Platinum (pending)
• Net Positive Energy* (producing 62,550kWh of energy per year)
• >29% savings in embodied carbon
• 3,542 gallons of potable water saved daily
• Living Building Challenge Petal Certification (pending)

FRESH AIR

Direct access to fresh air through operable windows provides both a connection to nature and an alternative to AC usage. All windows are connected to the rooms’ AC units. The AC turns off when a window is opened. Unit doors have magnetic holders to prop open for cross-ventilation while maintaining the fire rating. The residence hall empowers students to reduce their own energy use. The project is designed with a 50% reduction in energy consumption as compared to baseline, resulting in a savings of 277,191 lbs/CO2/Yr related to operational carbon.

SOLAR PANELS

Parkside North is served by a bifacial photovoltaic panel array that draws light in as it shades, along with a series of carport shading structures across the street. The rooftop array is a celebrated design feature that is seen from most outdoor spaces, including the accessible rooftop where it acts as an important shading canopy. Through on-site energy generation, the project anticipates producing 105% of the total energy demand, resulting in a net positive energy building. Similarly, at the adjacent Hillside Gateway, a large photovoltaic canopy spans the two buildings and frames the main courtyard entry.

RAINSCREENS

An envelope of rainscreens around the building keeps energy usage down on hot, sunny days while sheltering the units’ exterior windows from extreme weather. The envelope works while still allowing healthy levels of daylight to brighten the units. The rainscreens also provide an additional level of privacy for all the dorm room windows that face toward each other or into the courtyard.

RECLAIMED WATER

The design team was able to tap into the City of Long Beach’s reclaimed water line in order to serve the project’s low-flow toilets, urinals, and irrigation. The total potable water savings capacity is projected to be over 1 million gallons of drinking water saved annually, or the equivalent of two Olympic-sized pools.

BIODIVERSITY

Parkside North connects to nature by extending a pollen path that runs across the entire north/south axis of the campus. A landscaped area occurs every 500 feet, purposefully curated to attract monarch butterflies and hummingbirds indigenous to Long Beach. Within the three distinct courtyards, we enhanced a drought-resistant planting palette with aromatic native plants to engage the senses. Lush bioswales encircle the courtyard’s planted areas to support water retention, while also defining intimate seating zones that provide quiet areas for the students.

BUILDING ORIENTATION

The design team studied several potential building configurations for Parkside North to optimize its north/south orientation and minimize solar heat gains. In rooms designated for sleeping, 89% face north or south, an intentional sustainable design strategy that dramatically reduces the need for air conditioning in the evenings and at night.