WORKING WITH LEED
Pfeiffer Architects Helps Washington State U Renovate Its Student Union Building and Pursue LEED Accreditation

by Stephanie Kingsworth, AIA LEED-AP
Associate, Pfeiffer Architects

Summary: The Compton Union Building (CUB) project began with the question: “What do you do with a mid-century Modern student center at the heart of a university campus that just doesn’t function well anymore?” Over the course of 50+ years, the 240,000-gross-square-foot building had suffered from numerous expansions, internal remodels, and the addition of new programmatic elements, all of which resulted in a building with muddled architectural clarity that had turned into a rat’s maze on the interior.

Over a six-month period, Washington State University and a design team evaluated every option from tear down and rebuild to relocate to complete renovation. In the end, all factors led to renovating the building, and the administration and student leaders agreed that renovation was the best course of action. Then the real challenge began … How do you convince 18,000 students that renovating the mid-century building is the right answer and get them to approve a student referendum that would increase their student fees?

Collaborative effort
A major push in creating renderings and concepts for renewing the CUB and giving new architectural clarity to the building led to the successful passage of the student referendum. Pfeiffer Partners worked with Campus Planning & Development, Student Affairs, student government representatives, and all of the user groups in the building to refine the program for the building, which is now more than halfway through construction.

The “new” CUB will feature extensive student-organization and lounge space, emphasizing its role as a social center on the campus and enhancing the activities and hours the building is available to students. Programmatically, the building will include light-filled spaces for student organizations, student government offices, a variety of dining/food service offerings, more than 50,000 square feet of bookstore facilities, multiple retail vendors, a conference floor featuring an expanded ballroom, meeting rooms, and a catering kitchen. Additional components include a THX-certified 500-seat auditorium/cinema, a flexible student entertainment venue similar to a small black-box theater, and a mix of active and quiet lounges and study spaces—all in fresh, dynamic, light-filled spaces.

Addition of new elements
Because the growth of the university has occurred in all directions over the past 50+ years, the original design of the CUB with one major public entry no longer works for the campus. We are creating new entries to create four-sided building with entries on the southwest, south, east, and north façades. As the CUB sits on a hillside, a new elevator/stair tower element will be added to the north façade, welcoming students arriving from that area of the campus.

The new entry elements will provide a welcoming addition to the building, adding a sense of arrival and identity to the building. The University is pursuing LEED certification of the CUB, with critical elements being designed by the project team that include sunscreens, radiant heating and cooling, operable windows, and sustainable/green construction materials and finishes. The Compton Union Building is aiming to be the first LEED-certified building on campus.