California State University, Sacramento’s (Sac State) new 96,631-sf Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex recently had its ceremonial topping out event. The five-story complex on the banks of the American River will feature an energy-efficient design and abundant natural light with laboratory space for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
Dubbed the Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex, the CO Architects-designed $91.5 million building’s façade is inspired by the rippling effect created when a stone is tossed into water. The planetarium and its 2,500-sf dome, located at the building’s inward inflection point, is meant to represent the stone’s impact, with the patterned window system radiating outward to emulate the ripples.
Courtesy CO Architects.
The complex’s instructional laboratories will have large expanses of glass adjacent to public corridors to display the work occurring within and connect students and faculty. The corridors branch out from naturally lit central lobbies on each floor. Students can use these central lobbies to collaborate and study. An observatory is accessible from the rooftop and will feature a retractable roof and two telescopes.
Courtesy CO Architects.
The landscape was also designed to be able to double as a teaching tool where biologists and botanists can experiment and teach outside of their labs. An outdoor plaza will offer additional space to gather, study, or rest. Additionally, a green roof will be accessible from a continuous ramp and stairs.
The Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex is targeting LEED gold certification and is slated for completion in June 2019. The Build Team includes Sundt Construction, P2S Inc. (MEP), Buehler & Buehler Structural Engineers (SE), Cunningham Engineering (CE, landscape architecture).
Courtesy CO Architects.
Courtesy CO Architects.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Living and Learning Center, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
From its humble beginnings as a tiny pharmaceutical college founded by 14 Boston pharmacists, the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences has grown to become the largest school of its kind in the U.S. For more than 175 years, MCPHS operated solely in Boston, on a quaint, 2,500-student campus in the heart of the city's famed Longwood Medical and Academic Area.
| Aug 11, 2010
Giants 300 University Report
University construction spending is 13% higher than a year ago—mostly for residence halls and infrastructure on public campuses—and is expected to slip less than 5% over the next two years. However, the value of starts dropped about 10% in recent months and will not return to the 2007–08 peak for about two years.
| Aug 11, 2010
Team Tames Impossible Site
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the nation's oldest technology university, has long prided itself on its state-of-the-art design and engineering curriculum. Several years ago, to call attention to its equally estimable media and performing arts programs, RPI commissioned British architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw to design the Curtis R.
| Aug 11, 2010
Setting the Green Standard For Community Colleges
“Ohlone College Newark Campus Is the Greenest College in the World!” That bold statement was the official tagline of the festivities surrounding the August 2008 grand opening of Ohlone College's LEED Platinum Newark (Calif.) Center for Health Sciences and Technology. The 130,000-sf, $58 million community college facility stacks up against some of the greenest college buildings in th...
| Aug 11, 2010
University of Arizona College of Medicine
The hope was that a complete restoration and modernization would bring life back to three neoclassic beauties that formerly served as Phoenix Union High School—but time had not treated them kindly. Built in 1911, one year before Arizona became the country's 48th state, the historic high school buildings endured nearly a century of wear and tear and suffered major water damage and years of...
| Aug 11, 2010
Cronkite Communication School Speaks to Phoenix Redevelopment
The city of Phoenix has sprawling suburbs, but its outward expansion caused the downtown core to stagnate—a problem not uncommon to other major metropolitan areas. Reviving the city became a hotbed issue for Mayor Phil Gordon, who envisioned a vibrant downtown that offered opportunities for living, working, learning, and playing.
