SUNY

SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Utica Campus

SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s energy-savvy residence hall

Project: $33.5 million, 257-bed, residence hall project at SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Utica Campus.

DASNY’s Role: DASNY managed construction of the building and financed the construction by issuing low-cost, tax-exempt bonds supported by student residence hall fees as part of its SUNY Dormitory Facilities Program

Details: This is the first net-zero, carbon certified residence hall in New York State. The residence hall, which opened to students in 2020, includes hotel-style student rooms with adjacent lounges, kitchens, study, and laundry areas, as well as a multi-purpose room, game room and a bike storage area.

It includes many accessible and visually connected outdoor green spaces, such as a courtyard and trellised area with outdoor grills, and incorporates a bioretention/rain garden to slow rainwater runoff and remove contaminants from the water through natural filtration into the soil. In addition, the residence hall includes connections for a future photovoltaic power system.

Impact: The project is a key component of SUNY’s plan to transform the 64-campus system into a zero-carbon operation. This plan includes SUNY sourcing 100 percent of its electricity from zero carbon sources and requires all new SUNY buildings to be designed to achieve zero-net carbon emissions.

Making this deep, systemic, and transformational change for SUNY’s 2,346 buildings – which represent 40 percent of the building infrastructure in New York State – is expected to reduce the State’s carbon footprint by more than 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) per year.