California State University Northridge Sustainability Center

OWNER

California State University, Northridge

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Construction Cost
$4 Million

Completion Date
2017

Project Size
3,000 sf

California State University Northridge Sustainability Center

Northridge
California

Cal State Northridge strives to lead in sustainability as evidenced by the construction of the new Sustainability Center which houses faculty and hosts classes while serving as the example of their sustainability work beyond the borders of the campus. The new center was designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification and to meet the Living Building Challenge with Net Zero Energy.

Some remarkable aspects of the recycling yard are the 2,000 sf solar photovoltaic canopy that supplies energy to the building, the solar hot water system that provides heated water needs inside the facility, composting toilets that negate water usage for waste removal, and a system for rainwater and greywater capture meets landscaping irrigation needs.

The project’s location in the seismically active LA basin, combined with the project’s overall goal of minimizing waste, required Walter P Moore to provide an efficient and effective seismic system. As part of the CSU system, the project was subject to rigorous seismic peer review to ensure the performance meets the high performance goals for the CSU system.

Considering the building’s purpose, Walter P Moore designers specified that 55% of the structural steel would be salvaged from buildings constructed in the continental United States after 1930. The team also saved money and time for the owner using a simple steel lateral system of X- and inverted-V wide flange beams on hollow structural section columns.

The university is a proud signatory to Second Nature’s Presidents’ Climate Commitment and is following a Climate Action Plan that will guide them towards climate neutrality by 2040, and this new center is evidence of this effort.