Superior Dining renovations began over Winter Break of 2015 and finished right before the beginning of the Fall 2016 semester. By renovating the existing building structure, UMD kept the square footage of campus from changing, yet improved the flow of traffic and provided more efficient and comfortable seating options. Superior Dining took steps to make the space energy-efficient, with upgraded heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment. It also features some local and sustainably sourced materials.
Read more about these efforts below!
Materials
- The wooden columns scattered throughout the center are decorated with reclaimed 200-300 year-old wood that was recycled from a local grain silo. You can read about the history of this wood at the entrance of Superior Dining.
- Terrazo: the Terrazo flooring in the new hallway is a long-lasting and easy to clean material.
- Carpeting: Kinetex flooring was chosen for a majority of spaces, which has a 50% lower environmental impact compared to other commercial floorings, and contains no less than 55% recycled content. It was also manufactured in the nation’s first zero-waste carpet manufacturing facility. This carpeting was chosen to be tough and long-lasting, but it will also be easy to replace small sections that wear or become stained.
- All acoustical ceiling tiles were manufactured by USG Ceilings, which operates one of its locations in Cloquet, MN. The majority of the ACT (ACT-1) is a USDA-certified bio-based product, which also contains 69% recycled content and exceeds the Zero Emissions (VOC) specification.
Waste
- Superior Dining STILL offers trayless dining, which reduces wasted food and saves water/energy. All silverware, plates, bowls, and cups are washed in a highly water-efficient Hobart dishwasher and reused.
- Recycling and donating unneeded equipment and chairs/tables kept items from the landfill. In fact, the recycled/diverted materials helped keep approximately 60% of the total project waste from the landfills (over 178 tons of material were recycled!)
Energy
- All lighting is now LED, providing warm spaces for student comfort, but also saving energy. Daylight sensors ensure artificial lights are only turned as needed.
- All of the new appliances have an Energy Star rating.
- The new Air Handling Unit uses Variable Frequency Drives, to ensure the building uses the least amount of energy to keep the space properly ventilated.
- Space sensors detect occupancy and temperature levels, and adjust heating/cooling automatically to save energy while keeping the spaces comfortable.
- Large windows in Superior Dining continue to allow for maximum daylight in the space, reducing the use of electrical lighting.