Rinker Hall at the University of Florida

This photograph shows Rinker Hall's east elevation.

Photo credit: Timothy Hursley

Overview

Location: Gainesville, FL
Building type(s): Higher education
New construction
47,300 ft2 (4,390 m2)
Project scope: 3-story building
Urban setting
Completed March 2003
Rating: U.S. Green Building Council LEED-NC, v.2/v.2.1--Level: Gold (39 points)

Rinker Hall is a leadership facility within the University of Florida's College of Design and Construction, which includes 1,500 students and 100 faculty members. Rinker Hall serves the students of the School of Building Construction, the nation's oldest and most recognized program of this type. Accommodating 450 students, the building includes a mix of classrooms, teaching labs, construction labs, faculty and administrative offices, and student facilities.

This project was chosen as an AIA Committee on the Environment Green Project for 2005. It was submitted by Croxton Collaborative Architects, P.C., in New York City, which executed the project as a joint venture with Gould Evans Associates. Additional project team members are listed on the "Process" screen.

Environmental Aspects

Rinker Hall incorporates a range of green building features and, in 2004, achieved a LEED(r) Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Rinker Hall is oriented on a pure north-south axis, demonstrating the ability to utilize low-angle light for daylighting. Egress paths from all classrooms at all levels are daylit, allowing for emergency exit during a daytime power failure.

Materials were reviewed for proximity in manufacturing, recycled content, renewable-resource content, sustainable harvesting, longevity, low maintenance requirements, low toxicity, and ability to be recycled or reused at the end of a useful life.

Large-scale, open, linear accessibility was "mapped" through all major classroom spaces in such a manner as to provide nondisruptive servicing and maximum flexibility for future retrofit. The building was also designed through material selection, assembly, and detailing to facilitate disassembly.

Two major programmatic areas, the assembly room on the north and the construction shop on the east, were fully or partially incorporated in the design as indoor/outdoor spaces. They take advantage of measurable thermal shading and sheltering attributes at the "edge condition" of the building.

Owner & Occupancy

Owned and occupied by University of Florida, State government
Typically occupied by 38 people, 50 hours per person per week; and 450 visitors per week, 16 hours per visitor per week

Keywords

Integrated team, Design charrette, Green framework, Simulation, Performance measurement and verification, Indigenous vegetation, Stormwater management, Efficient fixtures and appliances, Efficient irrigation, Drought-tolerant landscaping, Graywater, Wastewater treatment, Massing and orientation, Glazing, Passive solar, Lighting control and daylight harvesting, Efficient lighting, Adaptable design, Recycled materials, Local materials, Certified wood, C&D waste management, Connection to outdoors, Daylighting

next topic:
Process

Last updated: 5/4/2005

Our thanks to the ENERGY STAR program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and to the U.S. Department of Energy, and to BuildingGreen, Inc. for hosting the submission and judging forms.

For more information about the AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects, contact AIA/COTE. For help on how to use this Web site, contact .