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For Immediate Release February 24, 2006 |
Public Information Office 310 Owen Hall, Campus PO 1820 Asheville, NC 28804-8507 828/251-6526 - FAX: 828/251-6677 web: http://www.unca.edu/news e-mail: pubinfo@unca.edu |
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UNC Asheville Celebrates the Opening of New Hall;
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The lobby of UNC Asheville’s newest classroom building, appropriately named New Hall, was filled with students, faculty, staff and alumni Friday afternoon for a reception celebrating the opening of the $5.5 million building.
Drama student Katie Fuller, a sophomore from Hillsborough, N.C., is thrilled with New Hall. “I feel really privileged to have such a special space. The great natural light and warm environment in the classrooms have already better helped me develop characters and get my creativity flowing,” she said.
Fuller and other drama students are especially taken with the Drama Department’s first tailor-made rehearsal room, complete with a sprung floor perfect for movement technique classes where students can master everything from fencing to pratfalls. They’re also excited about the department’s first voice-over recording studio where they’ll learn how to improve their vocal qualities and produce demo tapes for television, film and radio. And coming in fall 2006, New Hall will house the Drama Department’s first dedicated design lab for scenery, costumes, lighting and sound.
New Hall, which opened February 6, is home to nine departments and programs, most of which were formerly housed in Carmichael Hall, one of UNC Asheville earliest buildings. The 31,855-square-foot New Hall has 40 faculty and staff offices, eight classrooms, two seminar rooms and two computer labs. The project was funded by the statewide 2000 Higher Education Improvement Bond Referendum.
Henry Stern, professor of foreign languages, moved into his New Hall office in early February, leaving behind his Carmichael office of 31 years. “I’m delighted, and really, everyone is. The faculty have all been jumping around like kids the past few weeks,” said Stern. “The building has an excellent design. The separation of classroom space from office space allows us to meet with students with far fewer distractions. Everyone benefits. It’s a vast improvement and money well-spent.”
In addition to the students and faculty, the environment is also reaping benefits from the new building.
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New Hall’s environmentally friendly design features include UNC Asheville’s first “green roof,” which will reduce heating and cooling costs by providing additional insulation for the building’s west wing. The green roof is engineered to accommodate the greater weight and to slow dispersal of rainwater, which is another plus for the environment. It will be planted in March with a variety of native shrubs and grasses to provide a park-like setting.
New Hall also features the University’s first use of geothermal pumps for heating and cooling. This new technology, also known as a ground-source heat pump system, operates by continuously circulating liquid through a system of pipes bored 500 feet deep. The earth’s constant 58-degree temperature is used to warm the building in winter and cool it in the summer. In winter, a series of heat pumps extract warmth from the circulating liquid to warm the air. During the summer, heat is extracted from the air and carried underground through the closed loop system. The geothermal pumps are expected to reduce heating and cooling costs by up to $17,000 when compared to conventional methods.
The project architectural firm for New Hall is Pearce, Brinkley, Cease & Lee of Asheville. The general contractor is H&M Construction, also of Asheville.
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