CREJ - Building Dialogue - September 2015
The Pavilion’s impact on memory making and sustainability education could be greater than one might presume of an 11,500-square-foot social gathering - place. The experience begins as a new student living within this 4.8-acre, 615-bed North campus living and learning community, Laurel Village at Colorado State University. The recently built Pavilion serves as a sustainability teaching tool with centrally located spaces and programming that includes: agora gallery space, green wall, living slope and amphitheater, bike repair + education, an office for the campus “eco leaders” program, classrooms, mail room and game room – all of which complement the nearby housing and dining facilities. Programmatic and site considerations drove the design team of stakeholders, designers and specialty consultants to determine how much of an impact could be made with this 11,500 square feet. Inspired by the dry climate and prevailing winds of the area, the team researched, tested and analyzed data on the project site. Student patterns and relationship to the natural environment were also analyzed to align high performance goals and student needs while maintaining appropriate massing and design elements. The resulting design serves a dual function as high-efficiency building and a teaching tool, energizing a previously disconnected area of campus and allowing students to learn and interact in an environment that prioritizes stewardship toward our planet. The outdoor performance green and connected living slope function as a village square or “campus green,” producing a multipurpose gathering space for outdoor class sessions, student performances and community social events that can make use of the outdoor projection wall. Rising out of the green, the sloped roof or “living slope” is a vertical feature in an otherwise flat landscape. Designed with active students in mind, the slope allows students to picnic in warmer weather or sled in colder months. The living slope connects seamlessly to a second-floor terrace with a view of the Katabatic tower, which serves not only as a visible “campanile” for the village, but also works in conjunction with a trombe parapet wall to form a two-part passive heating and cooling system – the first-ever implementation of this particular combination. The system will save the building a projected 75 percent on annual energy costs compared with a typical community building. The main stair wraps around a plant-covered “living wall,” which uses a low-maintenance, self- watering system to filter the air naturally. Students on their way to The Spoke: Bike Repair + Education, a student-led bike shop, get a patch of green and a breath of fresh air as they learn about replacing a bike tube or adjusting their brakes. Whatever students are using the Pavilion for, they are always seeing the structure of the building and its materials. Cross-laminated timber and glu-lam beams paired with local stone show students how efficient and local materials are used. The Pavilion infuses daily student life with environmental understanding through interactive sustainable elements that students use frequently, making conscious decisions approachable and fun. Since its opening, CSU has used this building as a recruiting and retention tool for students, proving that learning, socializing and contributing can work successfully on campus. One student on Instagram commented on a the green stair, “Is it possible for a human to love a building?!”