Photo courtesy of Randall Perry Photography.Albany, N.Y. — A new hall for upperclassmen that recently opened at The College of Saint Rose is boasting several contemporary and green building features. EYP Architecture & Engineering designed Centennial Hall, which was named to honor the college's 2020 centennial.

The new four-story residence hall continues a transformation that began with the EYP-designed Thelma P. Lally School of Education and includes the new Massry Center for the Arts, William Randolph Hearst Center for Communications and Interactive Media and the forthcoming Huether School of Business.

Centennial Hall features single-occupancy bedrooms, lounges and group study areas, and a rear courtyard that will be used for campus gatherings. A convenience-type store, Provisions on Demand (POD), and Burger Studio, a café featuring made-to-order hamburgers and other hot foods, laundry facilities on each floor, indoor bike storage and small study rooms provide students with amenities to help them transition from college life to independence.

The 94,000 square-foot, 225-bed residence hall incorporates a number of green features to minimize its energy use and overall impact on the environment. A closed loop geothermal heat pump system with a supplemental gas-fired high-efficiency hot water boiler provides the heating and air conditioning requirements. The hall's design incorporates materials used throughout the building that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Other energy- and Earth-friendly features include high-efficiency lighting, lighting controls to reduce electricity use and the use of single-stream recycling for paper, glass, metals and plastics.