Grand Opening Held for California State University Associated Students Sustainability Center

Gilbane Building Company has completed the California State University Associated Students Sustainability Center. The university recently held a grand opening for the facility with approximately 150 students and community members attending this event.

The new 9,275-square-foot facility is home to the Institute for Sustainability and features a seminar room, a conference room, student workspace, lounge, a community resource center, restrooms and a covered courtyard, which will both house equipment for recycling and serve as the rooftop structure for a 25 Kw photovoltaic system with approximately 100 solar panels. The building envelope is high-performance, including glazing systems, enhanced insulation, durable and sustainable cladding, cool or green roof systems and daylighting throughout the complex to minimize energy usage.

The landscape is drought tolerant and includes a bio-swale. A graywater system connected to onsite lavatories and sinks will be used to irrigate the projects landscape; a solar thermal hot water system and vacuum composting toilets have also been incorporated into the project.

“We have witnessed and are grateful for our visionary and patient student leadership over the last decade and for the strong effort and teamwork from our architects and construction teams – Gensler, Glumac and Gilbane, as well as for our campus partners, especially Administration and Finance, Academic Affairs and the University Student Union,” says David Crandall, A.S. general manager, associate students, California State University. “We are ready to enter a new age in our campus’ sustainability, Matador style.”

The center is targeting LEED Platinum and is also seeking both Net-Zero Energy and Net-Zero Water certifications.