As planning began on Ford Hall, Willamette University officials considered the new academic building a perfect opportunity to demonstrate their sustainable ethic through a number of green initiatives. Having already signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, they wanted Ford Hall to help fulfill the principles of that commitment while achieving a LEED Gold certification and meeting the requirements of The 2030 Challenge.

Through an integrated design process, Hennebery Eddy Architects (HEA) developed a clear, logical and common-sense approach to design, technology and sustainability that would meet the long-term needs of the university and also meet or exceed the benchmarks for the green initiatives.

College Orientation

Early in the design process, HEA explored maximizing daylighting by orienting the building lengthwise along an east-west axis. This orientation allowed for highly transparent north and south elevations while reducing heat gain on the east and west elevations. The north and south elevations form a strong and direct visual connection to the busy pedestrian environment along State Street and to several heavily used campus pathways.

Ford Hall’s massing, form and material selection were based on creating a long-lived, timeless architecture within the context of the campus and the adjacent Oregon State Capitol complex. HEA produced an architectural expression that understands and embraces the surrounding context of historic structures and highly regarded open space with the hope that Ford Hall becomes a much admired and intensely used building. Materials of brick, stone and copper were selected not only for their durability, low maintenance and long life but also for their inherent beauty and timeless quality. Because, after all, the longer a building remains in use the more sustainable it is. 

Ford Hall was able to meet The 2030 Challenge through a combination of passive design concepts and interrelated building systems such as a high-performance building skin, abundant natural light (to 90 percent of interior spaces), automatic lighting controls, occupancy sensors, operable windows, displacement ventilation HVAC system, and a photovoltaic solar array.

Abundant daylighting, which also means abundant glass, must consider minimizing heat gain through the glass. A number of techniques to shade or enhance the performance of Ford Hall’s glazing are employed such as louvered sunshades, roof and canopy overhangs, and the use of ceramic fritted glass for windows located on the east and west elevations. 

A Fog at a Rock Concert

After testing several HVAC concepts, a displacement ventilation (DV) system was selected for heating and cooling the building due to its energy efficiency, the high level of comfort it provides for building occupants, and its straightforward technology. DV is a dependable, proven system that has been used throughout Scandinavia since the 1970s. Also, the DV system produces much less noise than typical forced-air systems and is well suited for learning environments where HVAC associated noise can be a serious impediment to communication.

“Like the fog at a rock concert,” is how HEA Project Manager Doug Reimer describes the way DV introduces air into a space. Air that is slightly below the desired room temperature enters a room, at a low velocity, near the floor, leaving occupants surrounded by fresh air. Heat, from occupants and equipment, warms the air. It then rises toward the ceiling and is exhausted from the space along with airborne contaminants, which provides thermal comfort and improved indoor air quality. In concert with the displacement ventilation system, operable windows and sliding glass doors give the building occupants the ability to regulate their own environment.

Renewable Energy Production

One of the tangible actions identified in the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment is for each signatory campus to immediately pursue obtaining 15 percent of its electricity through renewable resources. Toward that goal, HEA integrated a thin-film photovoltaic solar array into the buildings standing seam copper roof, which provides 3.5 percent of the project’s energy. With this PV installation, along with other measures throughout campus, the university is on the path to producing and purchasing 15 percent of its energy through renewable resources. 

Making the Grade

While the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment required a LEED Silver certification, UNIVERSITY officials targeted a higher level of sustainability and chose to pursue LEED Gold. Ford Hall received 47 LEED credits through a balanced approach where all of the site and building systems contribute to meet the university’s sustainable goals.

In addition to the displacement ventilation system and PV solar array other measures, such as flow-through stormwater planters, drought-tolerant landscaping, enhanced commissioning, 21 percent (by value) recycled materials, 20 percent (by value) regional materials, and a 56 percent reduction in baseline water use enabled Ford Hall to easily reach LEED Gold certification.

Ford Hall is Willamette University’s most-sustainable building to date and measurably demonstrates the institution’s deep commitment to the health of people and the environment by utilizing three green initiatives as benchmarks. The result is a true 21st century building that considers its role in both a local and global context, provides for the comfort and health of its occupants, and supports the academic and sustainable missions of Willamette University - and will do so for the next century or two.

Willamette University

Location: 900 State Street, Salem, Ore.

Size: 42,000 square feet

Completed: Sept. 2009