$104M Student Union Project Gets Under Way at SDSU
Sundt Construction Inc. broke ground on the new Aztec Student Union at San Diego State University, one of the oldest universities in California.
Originally built in 1968, the 43-year-old Aztec Center was demolished in August to make way for its replacement — a $104 million project approved by students and awarded to Sundt two years ago. Sundt’s contract for the project is for $70.8 million, and the general contractor is working on this project with international architecture firm Cannon Design.
Funding for the student union project comes entirely from student fees as voted on by the student population. The new three-story facility will stretch 205,582 square feet, making it twice the size of the former facility. While the Aztec Center was designed to accommodate just 10,000 students, the new Aztec Student Union will accommodate 30,000 students, serve as a hub for meeting, socializing and studying and feature a mix of dining options, retail space, 14 meeting rooms as well as state-of-the-art bowling, gaming and fitness centers.
Keeping in line with green construction practices, Sundt will recycle and reuse nearly 80 percent of the materials from the original building for this project. The new student union will also boast the latest sustainable building features, including solar panels to convert sunlight to energy, a rooftop vegetation garden to lower greenhouse gas emissions, and underground water storage tanks to recycle water run-off from storms. When finished, the new facility will be the first and only Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum-certified student union in the California State University system, using 40 percent less energy and water than other similar buildings.
Aztec Student Union, which will be operated by Associated Students, is set for completion in the fall of 2013.
NAIOP, Battalion Dedicate Camp Pendleton Memorial
NAIOP San Diego, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, in conjunction with the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, dedicated a memorial on Sept. 16 to honor Marines who made the ultimate sacrifice in a private ceremony attended by Marines and their families, NAIOP members and guests at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
The memorial, which is located in front of the special operations battalion’s headquarters, is inscribed with the names of the Marines of 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion who have died in the line of duty, including Cpl. Travis Woods, Sgt. Michael Roy, Capt. Joshua Meadows, Staff Sgt. Charlie Cartwright and Staff Sgt. Chris Antonik. Maj. Gen. Paul Lefebvre, who spoke at the ceremony, stated that “the monument gives a whole new meaning to this location.”
“The monument is a reminder to all those Marines, sailors, family members and visitors to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion’s headquarters building of the ultimate sacrifice made by these warriors,” said John Garrigan, a former Marine aviator and current NAIOP board member and community involvement chairman. “Moreover, it is a permanent fixture that will withstand the test of time and be a great reminder for generations of future Marines of their legacy and the sacrifices made by those who went before them.”
The pinnacle monument, designed to symbolize the battalion’s insignia, measures 2 feet by 2 feet 6 inches by 3 feet at its base and 8 feet tall. The granite slab pinnacle sits atop a base of precast concrete. NAIOP member, architect and former Marine aviator John Turpit, who designed the monument to appear as if it is coming out of the earth, was inspired in part by the Marines’ dedication to our country. Jack Burger, also a NAIOP member, acted as general contractor. Many additional NAIOP members and sponsors worked together to create the memorial.
For the last six years, NAIOP San Diego and its members have supported the Marines through NAIOP’s Adopt-a-Platoon and Adopt-a-Marine Buddy programs.
Ramona Library Achieves LEED Gold Certification
C.W. Driver’s work building the Ramona Library has resulted in the 21,000-square-foot structure being granted Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. C.W. Driver left its environmentally conscious mark on the Tuscan and Southwestern-style building, which is the second-largest library in San Diego County. It opened this spring and is four times larger than the original library it replaced.
The Ramona Library, located at 1275 Main St., was developed in a design-build method between local companies C.W. Driver, Ferguson Pape Baldwin Architects and Manuel Oncina Architects. It is one of two C.W. Driver-built, San Diego area libraries that opened this year. The other, the Fallbrook Library, is certified LEED Silver.
At the Ramona Library, C.W. Driver installed a 5,000-foot photovoltaic system on the roof comprised of two types of panels producing approximately 20 percent of the energy the library needs. Additionally, the library’s energy consumption and production are digitally displayed inside the building for patrons to follow. Outside, native plants and colorful species adaptive to the climate were incorporated to help reduce water and fertilizer usage.
