USC and DSA Visit CHC for Presentation & Tour of LEED Certified Projects
Publish Date: Dec. 8, 2022
On November 15, Crafton Hills College hosted a presentation and campus tour for USC students studying construction management, architecture and design, state leaders in green building, and architects working on current projects within the district. The tour was focused on showcasing working examples of state-of- the-art sustainable facilities at the college.
Introductions and opening remarks were provided by CHC President, Dr. Kevin Horan. “As students of architecture and students studying design, my piece of advice to you is to pay attention to the details.” Dr. Horan offered his experience and lessons learned when a design is not executed as anticipated.
Ida Clair, State Architect for the Division of the State Architect (DSA) addressed the group with an update on how state efforts are moving construction in the right direction when it comes to design. Clair spoke about the increased emphasis on sustainability in the new code cycle, requiring new buildings to have electric vehicle charging stations, solar photovoltaic, battery storage systems, and more. The DSA provides design and construction oversight for K–12 schools, community colleges, and various other state-owned and state-leased facilities to ensure that they comply with all structural, accessibility, and fire and life safety codes.
Ben Stapleton, Executive Director of the U.S. Green Building Council Los Angeles Chapter (USGBC-LA) expressed the mission of his organization is to transform southern California into a more sustainable region for all. The USGBC-LA is a non- profit organization representing green building and sustainability professionals in and around the Greater Los Angeles region and he offered the students the opportunity to join his organization.
San Bernardino Community College District representatives Farrah Farzaneh and Yash Patel presented an overview of upcoming projects, the district’s sustainability journey to date, and the energy analytics dashboard. Jeremy Judd, Operations Manager for Kitchell and Larry Cook, Facility Director at Crafton Hills College commented on the campus-wide sustainability efforts and the importance of operational sustainability focused on reducing unnecessary expenses and waste in construction. Cook also emphasized the need to critically analyze design intent early to ensure successful implementation. Cook noted that Crafton has reduced energy usage even though the square footage has increased significantly.
Attendees broke into two groups for a site walk with one group guided by Cook and the second by Martin Howell, Global Energy & Sustainability Skill Leader at ARUP. The groups visited the Crafton Center, Central Plant, Public Safety & Allied Health building, the Kinesiology, Health Education & Aquatics complex, and the solar farm.
