California State University, Northridge
IN-26: Innovation C

CSUN Associated Students (AS) sought to construct a Sustainability Center to house campus recycling operations and staff from AS Sustainability and the Institute for Sustainability, and also serve as an educational hub for campus sustainability efforts. CSUN students taxed themselves with a special fee to pay for the building, and the campus contributed a portion of the budget to help ensure the building could reach its sustainable performance goals. The Sustainability Center was designed to be an exemplar of sustainable design in keeping with the missions of the programs that are housed there. The office building is designed for zero net energy (ZNE) with 24kW of PV panels supplying its electricity; solar-heated domestic hot water for the lavatories, shower, and kitchen sink; high levels of daylighting in occupied spaces, with a high-efficiency lighting system; a high-efficiency VRF HVAC system that shuts off when the building's windows are opened; gray-water irrigation using lavatory and shower water; xeriscaping and on-site storm water management; and in an adventurous and pioneering move, three composting toilets. The composted waste from the restrooms is tested for harmful microorganisms before being applied to the building's landscaped areas. The Center has a multipurpose room for meetings and trainings, with an adjacent shaded courtyard. Adjacent to the ZNE office building, a covered Recycling Yard provides a paved, roofed and shaded outdoor working space ventilated by high wall openings and a high-efficiency fan for the CSUN students who work sorting recyclables. The yard replaces a smaller, open recycling yard that was unshaded and unprotected from rain. The Sustainability Center features an interactive utility dashboard, which displays live data from the building's 21 submeters to showcase the Center's performance and engage occupants to highlight the impact of their actions. The building was almost entirely furnished with reclaimed furniture from CSUN's Asset Management, minimizing the need for newly purchased furniture. Additionally, AS commissioned sustainability-themed artwork from students in CSUN's Art and Design program, which is featured throughout the building. Tours of the building are regularly given to showcase its design features, how they benefit occupants and how they relate to CSUN's broader sustainability and climate action goals. AS also created a virtual tour of the building that is available online. The Sustainability Center received LEED Platinum certification in January 2018.