Like many Sundt projects, the original design of the Sutter Hall dormitory at California State University, Chico had green building practices at the forefront. Prior to starting construction on the building, owners and project partners believed that the 111,000-square-foot complex would meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s standards for LEED Silver certification. However, everyone was beyond thrilled when Sutter Hall, which opened in late 2010, was recently awarded Gold certification, the second highest level of green building certifications.
The $60 million Sutter Hall complex combines student housing, residential dining and programming centers. Although the project was well positioned during design and preconstruction phases to achieve LEED silver, the team met regularly to review the project’s status and seek out any potential opportunities for additional eco-friendly features. Such opportunities arose, including the option to utilize natural light for daylighting and to increase the facility’s performance through the use of recycled content and regionally based building materials. Such diligence allowed the project team to seize opportunities and capture the three additional LEED certification points identified prior to construction. The final point – which bumped the project from Silver to Gold – came as a result of Sundt’s green building experience, allowing the team to identify a Credit Interpretation Request to capture the point for Brownfield Redevelopment.
We offer our congratulations to the CSUC Sutter Hall project team for its teamwork and ability to find and seize opportunities! Here’s to going gold!