Energy Efficiency

Fifth & Clyde is the first new dormitory on campus since Stever, which was built almost 20 years before. Much like the last dorm, CMU has focused on equipping this building with high efficiency technology. It is also LEED certified (Gold). From water-saving shower heads to the four green roofs, the building and surrounding landscape is designed to minimize the use of new water and retain stormwater runoff. The building envelope is designed to keep in heat during the winter, while the façade prevents sunlight from overheating the building in the summer. Instead of having units solely for each building, a district energy system has been created with both Fifth & Clyde and the Fifth/Neville Apartments next door. The chiller on the top of the Fifth & Clyde air conditions both buildings, while the boilers in Fifth/Neville provide heating. A generator is also shared between to two buildings. Behind Fifth & Clyde, a district trash area has been created to consolidate waste from the five neighboring buildings. This includes a compactor, which can reduce the number of truck pickups needed from a few times per week to a few times per month.

Atmosphere

The goal of the Fifth & Clyde design is to give the students a comfortable atmosphere while living away from home.

• Each student room has large windows to allow natural light to permeate the space. The color of carpet, walls, and doors was chosen to be neutral specifically so students could decorate to their own tastes.
• Each floor has its own kitchen, giving students the ability to cook a favorite meal or make snacks with friends.
• Laundry and trash rooms on each floor provide convenience – no more lugging laundry to and from the basement!
• Study and lounge spaces on every floor allow plenty of room for groups to meet to work on project, or to hang out and watch a movie or TV.
• The building also has large a large kitchen and lounge on the first floor that are big enough to hold events, such as an orientation mixer or small club meeting.

Sustainability

• All wood accents throughout the building are bamboo. Plywood made of bamboo has a warm tone and a feeling of being closer to nature. Ceilings, furniture, accent pieces, and most of the art were made of bamboo to bring that natural warm feeling into the building.
• All furniture and flooring throughout the building is made with fabrics that are not on the ‘Red List.’
• Carpet free rooms are located throughout the building to help those with allergies, and use linoleum flooring (a sustainable building material).

Art

• As you enter from Fifth Avenue, you are welcomed to the building by a wood piece created by Urban Tree. The famous line from Mr. Rogers “Won’t you be my neighbor?” is etched into slabs of wood harvested from campus.
• In the community kitchen, the Spice World piece was designed by the building’s architects (LTL – Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis) as a way to show how food brings us all together. Spices on the piece are shown in a location where they are harvested, creating an interactive food map of the world.
• In the main residential lounge, a stunning bamboo piece designed by CMU’s Department of Student Affairs and the building’s architect. The “Sister Bridges” – the Carson, Warhol, and Clemente – are etched into bamboo panels with the city’s skyline. Bridges are a piece of Pittsburgh history, and a symbol of community connection. The three particular people these bridges are name for were groundbreakers in their fields.
• A new public art piece will be viewable from all rooms along the courtyard, and from Fifth Avenue in front of the Marketing/Communications building.

Community Commons

The Community Commons is a space within Fifth & Clyde that is open to all members of the CMU community.

• It is a place for relaxation, rejuvenation, and play.
• Sit around the fireplace while reading a book. Have coffee or tea with friends in a nook.
• Sleep in a hammock.
• Meet with friends in the wellness room to dance.
• Practice with your band in the large music room. Practice on your own in the small music room.
• Use the large flexible space where to attend a presentation or watch a movie on the projector screen with everyone from your floor.