UT School of Nursing and Student Center

Photo credit: Hester + Hardaway

Indoor Environment

As a facility that teaches healthcare professionals, the building was designed to promote a healthy indoor environment.

All major spaces have access to fresh air via operable windows, views to the outside, and daylight as an ambient light source. Interior meeting rooms and workspaces open onto three atria that provide controlled, diffuse daylight. Interiors were designed to be uplifting and light-filled, and all people, regardless of rank, have access to daylight and views. Study areas and lounges have views of the leafy canopy of the trees in the park, and the café is situated along the park so that the shade can be enjoyed both indoors and out.

Paints, adhesives, sealants, carpets, and furniture systems were selected for their low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to improve indoor air quality.

The building is sheltering and nurturing, shielding occupants from the harsh sun, and yet it is open to allow collaboration, communication, and connection between floors and departments and to the outside world. The building is modern in its aesthetic use of materials, but feels timeless due to the solidity of the structure and focus on details.

Green Strategies

• Thermal Comfort
  • Use glazing with a low Solar Heat Gain Coefficient
  • Provide occupants with the means to control temperature in their area
• Visual Comfort and The Building Envelope
  • Use skylights and/or clerestories for daylighting
  • Incorporate light shelves on the south facade
• Visual Comfort and Interior Design
  • Locate floor openings under skylights to increase daylight penetration
• Ventilation and Filtration Systems
  • Provide occupants with access to operable windows
  • Provide heat-recovery ventilation
• Reduction of Indoor Pollutants
  • Use only very low or no-VOC paints

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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 .