Colorado Real Estate Journal - October 21, 2015
Colorado State University-Pueblo recently celebrated the opening of the first new classroom building on campus in decades. Hord Coplan Macht designed the 39,000-square-foot building, which was built by GH Phipps Construction Cos. The building, situated on a rise on the west campus grounds near the Chemistry Building and Library/Academic Resources Center features nine classrooms, faculty offices, meeting rooms, two large, tiered lecture classrooms, collaborative learning labs, public spaces and a coffee lounge with plazas oriented to maximize views of the mountains. The $12.8 million project also created the beginnings of a new west pedestrian spine that runs parallel to the campus’ existing main thoroughfare, which helps connect it to the rest of campus. Wember Inc. served as the owner’s representative on the building. The General Classroom Building is designed to accommodate the latest technology for in-classroom and distance learning. It includes one large lecture classroom that seats 135 students while incorporating distance-learning technology. The technology includes a video camera that tracks the movements of the lecturer for constant visibility to distant learners. In addition, a large monitor is positioned for the lecturer to see whom they are teaching to remotely. Each lecture classroom has been designed to accommodate small group active learning in addition to lecture-style learning, with one classroom designed specifically to optimize small group active learning. This classroom includes six round tables that seat up to eight students at each table with a dedicated laptop wired to a dedicated wall-mounted TV monitor. This design allows groups to present projects to the entire class, with each table projecting screens simultaneously. The active classroom was included in the overall program in order to instruct future teachers about new and innovative teaching methodologies. The project is projected to earn LEED Platinum certification based on the combination of its sustainable design and the university’s existing on-site photovoltaic renewable energy, according to GH Phipps. In 2008, the university dedicated a 1.2-megawatt on-campus solar array, which serves to offset 10 percent of the General Classroom Building’s annual energy cost in addition to offsetting many other campus electrical costs. This 10 percent offset is projected to earn the project eight points under LEED 2009 for New Construction and Major Renovation Energy and Atmosphere credit 2: On-Site Renewable energy. The eight points the team is projecting to earn in this category is 10 percent of the total 80 points needed for Platinum certification, illustrating the impact of the university’s commitment to renewable energy and sustainable design, the firm added.