Duncan College
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Duncan College will be the third large construction project made on by the administration of Rice University, after the rebuilding of Weiss college, and the previous construction of a giant brick-and-concrete toaster just south of Baker college to serve as a central processing plant for all liquid waste produced by several buildings on the south side of Rice. Duncan College was named after Anne and Charles Duncan. The plans for the building were released on August 21, 2007.
[edit] Anne and Charles Duncan
Anne and Charles Duncan have been long-standing contributors to Rice University. Charles Duncan was the U.S. Secretary of Energy under Jimmy Carter. Anne Duncan has served on the board of the Nature Conservancy of Texas. Their combined donations total $148 million. Due to their interest in the environment, the new college will have many sustainability features built into it.
[edit] Facilities
Opening near Duncan Hall in fall 2009, Duncan College will be one of the "greenest" buildings not only in Rice but in the city of Houston. The five-story building will be complete with 324 beds. Its large size is part of Rice University's plan to increase the size of the student body by 30%. Its gold-level LEED facilities will retain water for irrigation purposes and will have motion detector lights which will turn on or off according to the flow of people. The building will decrease energy consumption by up to 25% as well as cut back on water usage. Air conditioners will power off when windows are opened.
