Page 25 - College Planning & Management, June 2019

all known hazards within a product and any health risks associated with those ingre- dients. Simply because a product includes
a hazardous ingredient in its fabrication does not mean the product is unsafe. Often when that hazardous ingredient is combined with other materials during production, its harmful effect is mitigated.
Some material manufacturers are also working to divert waste from landfills
by setting up take-back programs where end-of-life materials are recycled into new materials, or modifying their processes
to create zero waste by collecting their scraps and recycling them back into new products. LEED v4 is also encouraging the reduction of construction waste by requir- ing manufacturers to ship their products in recyclable packaging.
Indoor Environmental Quality, Low-Emitting Materials
Similar to that “new-car smell,”
that “new-building smell” is the result
of off-gassing from materials used in a building’s interior, many of which can be harmful to occupant health. Under the LEED v4 standards, the focus has shifted to occupant health and the reduction of chemical contaminants that may be harm- ful to the environment, human health,
and air quality. Designers are encouraged to use materials with low or zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—organic chemicals that evaporate off materials and enter the surrounding air—which can have long-lasting, slow-to-develop health effects on occupants. LEED v4 also encourages a period of time to allow the building to off- gas and flush out before occupancy, with points awarded for achieving allowable testing levels.
Designing for the 21st-century residence hall restroom has become more complex than ever. It’s not just about having enough sinks, toilets, and showers to accommodate the right number of stu- dents; it’s also about creating a welcoming space where students feel as comfortable and safe as they do in their bathrooms back
home. Today, gender-neutral, accessible restrooms that incorporate new, more sus- tainable materials are what students want and universities are delivering. CPM
Javier Esteban, AIA, LEED-AP, is a princi- pal for KWK Architects. He can be reached at
javiere@kwkarchitects.com. Meghan Bo- gener, AIA, IIDA, is a project architect and interior designer for KWK Architects. She can be reached at meghanb@kwkarchitects. com. The design experts at KWK Architects (www.kwkarchitects.com) are part of an evolution in residence hall bathroom design.
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