Photo by: Mike Sasser
Nagel Hall, the $40 million newest addition to the university’s residence halls, should be ready to accept students by September.
Nagel is located between Nelson Hall and the Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management building on the west edge of campus.
The dormitory will not have an underground parking lot like its neighbor, Nelson Hall. Nagel residents will use the new parking structure at the intersection of High Street and Evans Avenue.
July and August will be the “shake-out” period for the building to make sure the building is ready for hundreds of students.
Nagel promises plush accommodations for sophomores and upperclassmen. Nagel will offer 356 beds to undergraduates. There will be 218 beds reserved for sophomores and 138 for upperclassmen.
The residence hall will have a “grab-and-go” style food court that will include Salsa Rico, a Mexican restaurant, a coffee shop and a wood fire pizza restaurant. Students will be able to pay for these food options with their Pioneer Card. The second floor of Nagel will have a game room that all DU students can access. There will also be study areas with ample natural light.
The faCB’ade of the building is brick with a copper roof and in the style of the collegiate Gothic architecture that has been used in many of the new buildings on campus. Margery Reed Hall, built in the 1920s, has been used as the model for the new buildings.
Nagel Hall, however, is also a “green” building and its infrastructure will be evaluated based on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard to assess the energy-efficiency of the structure.
According to LEED, “in the United States, buildings use one-third of our total energy, two-thirds of our electricity, one-eighth of our water [ ].” In addition to the building’s operating efficiency, LEED will give additional points for any effort made by the construction company to minimize environmental impact during construction.
DU anticipates Nagel Hall will earn high marks from LEED. DU Student Life Director of Budget and Planning Kent Lebsack said Nagel will get at least a “silver” LEED rating, and “gold looks very possible.”
If Nagel does receive the “gold” distinction, it will be the second building on campus to receive that rating. The other is the Ricketson Law Building.
The push toward a “greener” DU was made official in June 2007 when Chancellor Coombe signed a commitment to minimize greenhouse gas emissions at the University.
Over 400 other college and university presidents have made that same commitment.
Nagel Hall is named for Ralph and Trish Nagel, who donated $4 million to the project. Ralph Nagel is a member of the DU board of trustees and is a longtime Denver resident.
GH Phipps is the company responsible for Nagel’s construction. Phipps renovated the Centennial Halls’ dining room and built Olin Hall.
The company also built Invesco Field, the home of the Denver Broncos.
