Nugent Hall (the Champaign Housing Residence Halls Phase A) was awarded the LEED Silver Certification on January 20, 2011. Nugent received 34 of the 69 possible points on the LEED Scorecard. The construction was especially strong in the Indoor Environmental Quality, receiving 13 of the 15 possible points in that area. Nagle Hartray was selected as the Architect of Record in order to ease the transition in the unusual project delivery approach.

Named for a pioneer in accessibility for people with disabilities, Timothy J. Nugent Hall is the first new residence hall on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in more than 40 years. Students in the Beckwith Program are university students with severe physical disabilities. Nugent Hall is beyond ADA-compliant, featuring the only commercially installed SureHands life system in the country, proximity readers, adjustable furniture, wireless paging, remote-controlled blinds and roll-in showers on the first floor.

In 2012, this building recieved the Barrier-Free America Award for being the first institution of higher education to offer residential services to students with disabilities who require assistance with the activites of daily living as well as providing over 1000 students with disabilities both academic and non-academic support. More information about the LEED Certification of Nugent Hall is available on the USGBC’s directory page.

• More than 10 percent of the products used in the construction of Nugent Hall contain recycled content.
• More than 20 percent of the materials used for the project were manufactured and harvested within a 500-mile radius from the site, including the concrete and brick.
• The white reflective roof was designed to reduce solar heat absorption, keeping it cooler and using less energy for air conditioning.
• Walkways around the buildings were made with white color concrete, which reflects the sun’s heat and keeps the surrounding area cooler.
• The landscape is designed with native and drought-tolerant plants to reduce dependency on potable water.
•  Low-flow plumbing fixtures were utilized to reduce water consumption by over 20 percent in Nugent Hall.
•  Nugent Hall was designed to meet ASHRAE , the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, requirements.
• Indoor Air Quality measures were implemented during the construction process to achieve a high level of cleanliness and air quality
• Construction sites were kept clean to protect the HVAC systems and improve efficiency.
• The facility’s cleaning and maintenance policy will limit the environmental impacts of hazardous and unfriendly cleaning products and solvents, while also providing a healthier working environment.