Colorado State University-Pueblo has held a rededication ceremony for its campus student center, which has undergone a $34 million renovation.
The university says the renovation of the Occhiato Student Center was divided into three phases to keep the food services there operable. The project upgraded and added to the original 109,000 square-foot facility built in 1974.
A 22,900-square-foot addition, which housed the University Bookstore and student cafeteria during the renovation, will house a new ballroom and pre-event gathering space that will be unveiled officially in May.
The student center was designed as an open, dynamic, technologically modern facility with residential dining and retail functions, study lounges and state-of-the-art conference rooms. The renovation separates the student-use areas from the public areas available for public and private events.
The new design emphasizes various points of entry into the building, which were originally invisible to students and visitors. It includes a large clerestory structure over the second-floor opening to the main level to allow for abundant daylighting, and relocates student-oriented programs to the main level from the lower level to optimize visibility to students.
The renovated building was designed and constructed to achieve LEED Gold certification.
The design/build team is Hord Coplan Macht and Nunn Construction.
