San Marcos,
22
January
2014
|
11:25 AM
America/Los_Angeles

Construction Presses Forward

By Katie Chappell

Over the last decade, Cal State San Marcos has broken ground on new buildings as at the campus expands to meet the growing needs of a young university. The latest building addition is the new  University Student Union  (USU), which opened on January 21. The nearly 90,000 sq. ft. union, located in the heart of campus, has become the new hub of student life.

Student Health Finds a New Home on Campus

Construction continues for the University's new Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) building with the installation of the roof at the end of January. The new 20,000 sq. ft., two-story building will be located adjacent to Parking Structure One and across the street from the University Student Union, on the corner of Campus Way and Campus View drive.The Center is returning to campus after being housed across the street in the Palomar Pomerado Health Building for the last 17 years. The SHCS Building will feature clinical and counseling offices, a group conference / library room, a laboratory, waiting areas, health education spaces and a pharmacy. Construction is scheduled to be completed in fall 2014.

An Eco-Friendly Space for Veterans

The new stand-alone  Veterans Center  will start to take shape this semester. The new 1,000 sq. ft. house, donated by the Stevens Institute of Technology, will makes it home on a hört empty lot to the west of Markstein Hall and behind Science Hall 1, and will replace a much smaller facility That opened in Craven Hall in 2008. The center will include an office, a conference room, a kitchen and a lounge and event space.

The Veteran's center was originally created by a team of interdisciplinary students at Stevens to be a net zero energy solar house. The facility is expected to retain many of its unique features and technological innovations,-including solar shingles; a rain water harvesting system with green wall and green roof; and energy-saving and water-saving heating, cooling and plumbing systems. It is anticipated to be in use in fall 2014.

Renovation for the School of Nursing

In support of CSUSM's School of Nursing, renovation of an entire floor (approximately 11,000 sq. Ft.) In University Hall will start in February. The School of Nursing was established in 2006 in a medical office building across from campus. This project will allow the School of Nursing to be located on campus for the first time.Construction is expected to be completed in October 2014, with the opening scheduled for January 2015. The renovated third floor will include art skills labs, simulation labs, mock exam rooms and administrative spaces.