Staff, Faculty to Celebrate Construction Milestone
January 10, 2013
Construction on Science and Engineering Building 2, the campus's next major academic facility, will hit a milestone today with a topping out ceremony.
The final beam will be installed on the much-needed three-story building.
Staff and faculty are invited to sign the beam and watch as its hoisted to the top of the building. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. today in the breezeway of the Science and Engineering Building.
“With currently available research and instructional labs in high demand, this new building will be a very welcome addition when it comes online next year,” Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Thomas Peterson said. “This much-needed space will significantly enhance the hands-on learning experiences of students in engineering and natural sciences and add valuable new research and office capacity for our faculty.”
View photos from the event.
Despite the recent winter rains, construction is proceeding as scheduled, with a planned occupancy date of August 2014, according to Thomas Lollini, FAIA, campus architect and associate vice chancellor for Physical Planning, Design and Construction.
The new facility will stand adjacent to the Science and Engineering Building and support anticipated growth in the School of Engineering and School of Natural Sciences. It will add 101,900 gross square feet (57,300 assignable square feet) of laboratories, core research space, faculty offices and support space. The project will also provide outdoor areas for gathering and learning to support the academic programs.
Designed by the Smith Group of San Francisco, the building will include three above-ground stories and a basement. The general construction contractor is McCarthy Building Companies, based in San Francisco.
The steel-braced frame will support an exterior finish of architectural concrete, cement plaster and aluminum similar to that of the Science and Engineering Building. The building is expected to achieve a minimum of LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Three “wet” labs and one open-class lab will be included, supporting academic programs such as chemical sciences, computer science, mechanical engineering, materials science and engineering, bioengineering and environmental engineering.
Approximately $85.1 million of the $88.8 million total project cost will be funded by the state. The balance will come from campus funds.
The new structure, along with the Student Activities and Athletics Center and two other buildings currently under construction (the Student Services Building and the fourth phase of student housing), will increase physical capacity on campus by about 25 percent when completed.
