Renovated Washington Hall to welcome residents for fall semester

Washington Hall, the latest residence on campus to get extensive renovations, is preparing for student move-in for the Fall 2013 semester.

Work began last May on the residence hall, which was built in 1967 and was due for a face-lift. Like the previously renovated Moffett, Madison and Jefferson Halls, Washington was reconfigured from a suite arrangement to one providing a private bath for each two-student room. Students will enjoy new furniture throughout the building and the addition of air conditioning.

The building’s third floor, formerly used for utility and machinery, has been renovated to provide two apartments like those that have been popular in Madison and Jefferson. One will have four bedrooms and one, five bedrooms.

Throughout the remodeling, emphasis was placed on sustainable design and energy conservation. The building's heating and cooling will be provided by a water source heat pump system using a site-located cooling tower. This will be the first system of its type at RU.

Because of the building’s orientation, one side of Washington Hall may be entirely in the sun while the other experiences shade. The water source heat pump will be able to adjust for the daily changes by providing appropriate, real-time cooling or heating as needed.

Radford University has applied for LEED Certification for Washington Hall. Both Madison and Jefferson Halls received LEED Gold.  Moffett Hall’s certification is pending. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED certification denotes that a building implements practical and measurable techniques in green design, construction, operations and maintenance.

"We're trying to be energy efficient and trying to use renewable products," said RU Chief Facilities Officer Chris Willis.

The renovated Washington Hall will house approximately 200 hundred Highlanders. Plans are underway to continue housing improvement on campus with the renovations of Bolling and Pocahontas Halls beginning in summer 2014 and Draper Hall in summer 2015.

Learn more about Radford University at www.radford.edu.