The demolishing of Coffey Hall and amphitheater provides room for the new wing of the Plemmons Student Union. Photo by Zack Wilson | The Appalachian

The Center for Student Excellence will contain new spaces for Appalachian and the Community Together (ACT), Center for Student Involvement and Leadership (CSIL), and the Multicultural Office.

The new four-story building will also have space for new offices for the departments of the Dean of Students, International Education and Student Research.

In addition to the new offices housed in the building, there will be new meeting and conference rooms for students and clubs, including the largest multipurpose room on campus.

Once completed in August 2012, the Center for Student Excellence will be one of the greenest buildings on campus with an expected Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification.

“The Student Union has led the way in converting an older building into a sustainable facility,” said Dave Roberston, facility manager for Plemmons Student Union.  “We want to make the entire operation of the student union green and sustainable.”

Designed by Perkins & Will and being built by Balfour Beatty out of Charlotte, N.C., the new building will feature a number of unique systems designed to maximize energy efficiency and sustainability.

The building will feature a vegetative roof to help dissipate solar radiation and reduce cooling costs, along with using heating and air systems that are 30 percent more efficient than the state standard, Robertson said.

All of the building’s hot water will come from the existing solar thermal panels on the roof of the current student union building, and underground cisterns will capture and re-use rainwater runoff.

Lighting in the building will be a mix of natural daylight and artificial light created by the buildings all-LED fixtures and controlled by automatic sensors, a first on campus and twice as efficient as fluorescent light, Robertson said.

The building will use an automated system to regulate the oxygen levels inside, bringing fresh air into the building when levels drop, allowing the brains of students and occupants to remain oxygenated and productive.

“If we built an energy inefficient building, students would have to pay the extra utility costs forever,” Robertson said. “We’ve also got finite resources on this planet and it’s time for the world to wake up and recognize that.”

Story: CHRISTOPHER CLARK, News Reporter
Photo: ZACK WILSON, Intern Photographer