SCU Plans Green Building to Show Sustainable Designs

SCU Plans Green Building to Show Sustainable Designs
Straw bale walls, photovoltaic cells, recycled textiles, and furniture featuring locally harvested wood are some features that will be a part of the new Kennedy Commons building on SCU's Mission campus. San Francisco architectural firm of Kaplan Mclaughlin Diaz (KMD) has been commissioned to design the new building, which will be the ultimate "green" building on campus and an example of SCU's commitment to stewardship of the environment and promoting awareness of sustainability.

The 7,500-square foot building will be a flexible multipurpose space that will include meeting rooms, a kitchen, classrooms, and office and lecture space for faculty and students. Situated in the current concrete Kennedy Mall area on campus, the facility will also have open area for outdoor programming and social events to support the adjacent student residence halls.

"The new building will be the neighborhood center for the students -- a place where they can get together to watch a movie, study for finals, or eat pizza," said Joe Sugg, vice president for operations at SCU. The construction of the project will begin this spring and is scheduled to be completed by the early fall.

"The Commons Building will represent one of the first entirely 'green' academic buildings in the U.S. It will represent a landmark design in terms of academic instit