Chico State University in Chico, Calif., is scheduled to break ground on a $98 million building for the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences—the first net-zero building on campus and the third in the entire California State University system.
The university says the 94,000-square-foot building will be home to nine academic departments, 22 classrooms, five laboratories for conducting research, and a large, tiered lecture hall, as well as faculty offices, conference space, and breakout rooms to foster collaboration. It also will be home to the Community Legal Information Clinic and the Gender and Sexuality Equity Coalition.
The building, which will open to students in fall 2024, reflects the university’s commitment to offering a variety of learning modalities and increasing program access through technology and design. Each classroom and lab will feature Chico Flex, an instruction model that enables faculty to teach and interact with students in person and online simultaneously.
The Behavioral and Social Sciences Building will have solar panels, an efficient water system, maximized daylight, a chilled beam cooling system. and an indoor garden with trees and bridges and open and enclosed study spaces.
Once the new building opens, it will allow for spaces in Butte Hall, the current home of Behavioral and Social Sciences, to be used as surge space to help renovate other buildings on campus.
The architect is AC Martin, and the builder is Turner Construction Co.
