flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

First look: Cal State San Marcos's posh student union complex

First look: Cal State San Marcos's posh student union complex

The new 89,000-sf University Student Union at CSUSM features a massive, open-air amphitheater, student activity center with a game lounge, rooftop garden and patio, and ballroom space.


By PCL Construction | May 1, 2014
The new University Student Union at California State University San Marcos featu
The new University Student Union at California State University San Marcos features a massive, open-air amphitheater. All photos

PCL Construction is pleased to announce that it has completed the University Student Union (USU) at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM). The grand opening was marked by a ribbon-cutting event on April 15, attended by hundreds of students, community members, alumni, faculty, and staff. 

The new USU is the campus center for socialization, casual interaction, programmed activities, and student organizations.

CSUSM President, Dr. Karen Haynes, says, “This union, this vibrant hub of our campus, was constructed with the interests and needs of our students at its heart.  We also took into consideration how our community might use this space, how our student union could bring us even closer to our region. Our partners, like PCL Construction, helped turn our vision into an amazing space for all to use.”

The USU is a four-story, 89,000-sf building which cost $43.9 million, and was funded by student fees. The USU features new dining options, an open-air amphitheater, a student activity center with a game lounge, a rooftop garden and patio, and a 9,000 sq. ft. ballroom. The USU was designed to achieve LEED Gold certification.  Built by PCL Construction Services, Inc., the project was designed by Hornberger + Worstell, Inc.

 

 

Michael Gallen, PCL Construction’s Project Executive, says, “The most challenging projects are also often the most rewarding.  This project offered numerous technical challenges with the site’s multi-level geography. It’s now extremely rewarding to see students enjoying this space. Its unique design is ideal for both private study, and social gatherings.”

Dale Kain, Vice President and District Manager for PCL, says, “PCL continued its reputation for design-build project delivery, and completing a quality product.  Building the USU at CSUSM was another step in creating a great partnership with the university.  We look forward to continuing our vital work at CSUSM in the upcoming months and years.”

 

 

About PCL Construction 
PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and in Australia. These diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets are supported by a strategic presence in 31 major centers. Together, these companies have an annual construction volume of more than $6 billion, making PCL one of the largest contracting organizations in North America. Watch us build at www.PCL.com.

Related Stories

Warehouses | Feb 5, 2015

Self storage facility designed to blend in with Miami Beach's party scene

The plans by architect Gutierrez & Lozano are of a sleek, boutique-looking, 22,500-sf facility at the gateway to the city.

Sponsored | Designers | Feb 5, 2015

3D printing has people in the building and construction industry talking

How can 3D printing affect the building design and construction industry?

Cultural Facilities | Feb 5, 2015

5 developments selected as 'best in urban placemaking'

Falls Park on the Reedy in Greenville, S.C., and the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Downtown Market are among the finalists for the 2015 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence.

Architects | Feb 5, 2015

Toy around with Ittyblox's ultra-detailed building blocks

For Lego fanatics, time is no object when building a model. For those of us with a little less time, Ittyblox is a good solution.

Transit Facilities | Feb 4, 2015

London mayor approves plan for a bicycle highway

The plan will guarantee bike riders a designated stretch of street to ride from east to west through the city.

Sports and Recreational Facilities | Feb 4, 2015

Arup unveils plans for the new A.C. Milan stadium

The venue will include a modern stage for the home matches together with a hotel, sports college, restaurants, children’s playground, green areas, and spaces open to the city and dedicated to public use.

Higher Education | Feb 3, 2015

Integrated Learning Neighborhoods: A solution for linking student housing with the typical student experience

Just as urban housing fits into the city as a whole, student housing can be integrated into the campus network as a series of living/learning neighborhoods, write Gensler's Brian Watson and Mark McMinn.

Office Buildings | Feb 3, 2015

5 trends transforming workplace design

RTKL's workplace design expert Jodi Williams foresees healthier and more technologically enabled offices that allow productive worker interaction, wherever they happen to be.

Architects | Feb 3, 2015

Frank Lloyd Wright’s work nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Status

If selected, Wright’s work will be the first examples of U.S. modern architecture on the list.

Contractors | Feb 3, 2015

Nonresidential construction spending expands in December 2014

Seven of 16 nonresidential construction subsectors posted increases in spending in December on a monthly basis.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Student Housing

The University of Michigan addresses a decades-long student housing shortage with a new housing-dining facility

The University of Michigan has faced a decades-long shortage of on-campus student housing. In a couple of years, the situation should significantly improve with the addition of a new residential community on Central Campus in Ann Arbor, Mich. The University of Michigan has engaged American Campus Communities in a public-private partnership to lead the development of the environmentally sustainable living-learning student community.



Adaptive Reuse

Empty mall to be converted to UCLA Research Park

UCLA recently acquired a former mall that it will convert into the UCLA Research Park that will house the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA and the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, as well as programs across other disciplines. The 700,000-sf property, formerly the Westside Pavilion shopping mall, is two miles from the university’s main Westwood campus. Google, which previously leased part of the property, helped enable and support UCLA’s acquisition.


Geothermal Technology

Rochester, Minn., plans extensive geothermal network

The city of Rochester, Minn., home of the famed Mayo Clinic, is going big on geothermal networks. The city is constructing Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) that consist of ambient pipe loops connecting multiple buildings and delivering thermal heating and cooling energy via water-source heat pumps.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021