Western opens 105-bed addition to Buchanan Towers residence hall

Western Washington University has opened its new Buchanan Towers residence hall addition on south campus. Students will be living in the new residence hall addition starting fall quarter 2011.

The five-story, 105-bed addition of about 37,000 square feet was constructed on the east side of the Buchanan Towers building. Floors one through four each have five different four-person suites that feature double-occupancy bedrooms, a lounge/living room, a study area, and a bathroom. The top fifth floor suites house five students and are designed with a two-story mezzanine loft with an additional single-room bed. There are shared spaces on each floor that include a laundry and kitchenette.

The first floor of Buchanan Towers was renovated for a retail café, large public seating and lounge area with south facing windows, study spaces, computer room, indoor bike storage, office spaces and public bathrooms.

The project was designed with principles of day lighting and natural ventilation to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver rating. LEED certification is a green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Site improvements included a new WTA bus turn-out and transit shelter, reconfigured pedestrian pathways, sidewalks and on-site bicycle parking. Rain gardens and underground vaults will manage storm water control and treatment.

The eight-story Buchanan Towers residence hall, originally built in 1971, currently has 424 beds and with the addition will have 529 beds.

In 2009, WWU issued $14.28 million in bonds to finance construction of the new addition to the Buchanan Towers residence hall. Western was the second issuer of Build America Bonds in the state, with a size of $12.835 million, with the remainder – $1.445 million – sold as regular tax exempt bonds. Build America Bonds were introduced by the federal government as part of their economic stimulus package in 2009 to offer increased financing alternatives to public agencies. Money to repay the bonds comes from Western’s residence hall system and is not state or taxpayer-funded.

About 4,000 students are expected to move into Western’s residence halls and apartments from Friday, Sept. 16, through Sunday, Sept. 18. The first day of classes at Western is Wednesday, Sept. 21.

For more information about moving into residence halls, go to http://www.housing.wwu.edu/.

The addition to the Buchanan Towers residence hall adds a ground-floor entrance, cafe and seating area, among other amenities. Photo by Christopher Wood | University Communications intern