The College of Letters & Science’s new Irving & Dorothy Levy Hall is designed to be a forward-looking space for the University’s growing undergraduate population that modernizes the student learning experience, strengthens research connections, and fosters wellness of people and the planet.
A 136,000 square foot, five-level structure, this $115.9 million facility will house eight academic units and provide general assignment classrooms that will provide seating for up to 200,000 students from across campus every year. When it opens in fall 2026, Levy (pronounced lev-ee) Hall will be a model of design principles focused on accessibility and sustainability.
Sustainability Design Features
Designed for Equitable Communities
Learning spaces are equipped for active participation by all. The building and surrounding landscape design ensures that people of a wide range of mobility and neurological abilities are able to enjoy these spaces.
Levy Hall will have 280 new bicycle parking spaces and the building will contain a commuter room with parking for up to 26 bikes and amenities for riders.
The space provides two lactation rooms and two wellness spaces for the benefit of building users.
Designed for Ecosystems
The Levy Hall project incorporated strategies to protect wildlife using dark sky design principles and bird safe glazing strategies. Additionally, the building promotes wildlife habitat through onsite native plants that provide berries and seeds as year-round food sources for pollinators and wildlife.
Solar panels and a green roofing system will reduce heat impacts.
Designed for Water
An onsite cistern will collect enough rainwater to eliminate the need for additional onsite irrigation. The cistern will supply enough irrigation for all site plantings including the green roof.
Levy Hall will feature a variety of native prairie grasses and forbs with high drought tolerance and the ability to stabilize soil and control water runoff.
This project will achieve a 25% water use reduction through low-flow fixtures.
Designed for Energy
The building is projected to have an energy use intensity (EUI) of 52.7 kBtu/sf/year, below both the Office (65 kBtu/sf/year) and Classroom (60 kBtu/sf/year) DFD benchmarks.
The building roof top will have a 2500 square foot, 20 kw system solar array with an anticipated production of 26,000 kwh of electricity per year. This will offset the building’s total energy use by 1.1%.
Designed for Wellness
Levy Hall incorporates numerous biophilic design elements, such as terraces and green roofs, to promote a natural and calming experience for building users.
Enhanced daylight and thermal comfort features will provide a comfortable and inviting space for all.
Levy Hall’s acoustical design prioritizes intelligibility of the spoken word. Design considerations included targeted wall, floor, and ceiling cover.
Designed for Change
The building was designed to mitigate future climate risks and ensure Levy Hall is a thriving and viable building for the next 100 years.
A climate risk assessment was performed resulting in a mechanical system that is designed to support future increases in temperature and humidity while maintaining reduced energy consumption and user comfort.