Beyond Affordable Student Housing

Cal State Long Beach Breaks Ground on $115 Million La Playa Residence Hall Project. According to this recent article in Student Housing Business.com, the residence hall was "designed by Perkins & Will, the project is part of the State of California’s Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program which aims to increase below-rate rental options for students living on campus”. Affordable housing is sorely needed on college campuses. With skyrocketing educational costs, the last thing a student should be worrying about is the cost of their dorm room. But why stop at just making housing more affordable when you can also build energy-efficient campus dormitories, reduce carbon emissions, are quick to build, are more comfortable for the students, and dramatically reduce long-term maintenance and energy costs?

Passive House™ design is a proven technology for saving energy costs and increasing comfort levels for both single-family homes and large multi-occupancy buildings, such as dormitories, hotels, and office buildings. However, many cost-conscious developers and student housing administrators have avoided Passive House™ designs because of the slightly additional costs, materials, time, and expertise needed for construction. In larger projects, such as student and multi-family housing, those slightly additional costs become truly insignificant. When panelized construction is combined with Passive House™ designs and materials, such as is the standard practice in our Simplus Building System™, construction times and labor costs are greatly reduced to the extent that the greater savings come from panelization more than offset the smaller additional costs from using Passive House™ design approaches. As a result, both students and housing administrators can enjoy the overall savings in construction time and costs in addition to long-term energy savings, lower energy costs, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. 

Student Housing Benefits

The Simplus Building System™ provides these important benefits for Student Housing Administrators, the educational institution, students, and the environment. 

• Up to 55% Faster Construction Time: Pre-assembled panels for the foundations, walls, floors, roofs, and decks are delivered directly to the construction site for faster completion time with fewer delays.
• Up to 41% Savings in Hours: Simpler, faster construction with prefabricated panels means less onsite assembly, fewer mistakes and delays, a quicker completion date, and overall fewer labor costs. 
• 15% or more Savings in Labor Rates: When one of the largest parts of the building, the exterior shell, is fabricated off-site, then Prevailing Wage rates do not apply to the shop labor and great labor cost savings are also experienced.
• Computer-Accurate Designed Panels: Factory-fabricated panels are fast and easy to install with less onsite waste.
• Durability and Safety: We use a specially formulated MgO (Magnesium Oxide) panel that is fire-resistant, water-resistant, termite-proof, and a natural fungicide. It is safe for residents and construction workers, does not off-gas, and contains no toxins, silica, or asbestos. This simple, durable MgO board is strong, and durable, and provides an easy-to-clean substrate that can reduce long-term maintenance and upkeep costs. 
• Up to 90% Annual Energy Savings: Passive House™ design can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 90%, saving the school substantial operational costs. 
• Up to 90% Fewer Carbon Emissions: Buildings contribute up to 39% of all annual carbon emissions. Student housing built to Passive House™ standards with MgO panels reduces carbon emissions helping your institution meet its carbon reduction goals and making the planet a better place for the next generations of students. 
• More Comfortable Living Environment: In addition to lowering energy costs and carbon emissions, student housing built to Passive House™ standards provides a more comfortable, year-round environment for your students and staff, which can improve learning achievements via more pleasant spaces to be in.

Student housing built to Passive House™ standards can significantly save your institution time and construction costs while reducing annual energy and maintenance costs, thus providing you and your students with much more affordable housing. For more information, visit our section on the Simplus Building System™. If you would like to talk to us about affordable student housing and Passive House™ design, then please schedule a free consultation meeting where we’d be pleased to answer your questions.