Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Architecture Firm, Community College District Partner to Create Sustainability Goals

  • By Matt Jones
  • 12/14/23

Architecture firm DLR Group recently partnered with the Riverside Community College District (RCCD) in Riverside, Calif., to offer a suite of sustainability services, according to a news release. RCCD is composed of three colleges (Moreno Valley College, Norco College, and Riverside City College), each of which will gain a new Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP), a Total Cost of Ownership dashboard (TCO), and Integrated Energy Master Plans (IEMP).

DLR and RCCD also worked with hundreds of stakeholders to produce the SCAP, which serves as a “practical roadmap for cultural transformation, setting aspirational, evergreen goals, measurable objections, and specific actions.” The SCAP is based off of the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) STARS program and the California Community Colleges Climate Change and Sustainability Policy as a template for approaching sustainability planning as practically as possible.

“Riverside Community College District believes sustainability requires a cultural transformation and the SCAP sets the foundation for its evergreen goals through the district strategic planning and integration process,” said RCCD Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities Planning & Development Hussain Agah. “This plan aims to outline a roadmap for RCCD to live sustainably and take an active role in responding to evolving environmental and climate challenges.”

Meanwhile, the IEMP dashboard will allow the district to keep track of its many buildings’ consumptions of resources like electricity, gas, and water. The TCO capability will let the district understand the cost of ownership of its various assets or investments not just in terms of the initial capital and setup costs, but also the cost of long-term operations and human resources.

“As an institution of higher education, RCCD has the opportunity to live sustainably, actively lead their communities, and respond to today’s evolving climate challenges,” said Linsey Graff, DLR Group Principal and Campus Planning Leader. “Working with RCCD on their SCAP has been a privilege, paving the way for the College to create a legacy of stewardship, innovation, and responsible action.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Charles R. Drew University Opens Health Professions Education Building

    Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) has officially opened its new Health Professions Education Building (HPEB) in South Los Angeles.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey

    Spaces4Learning recently launched the 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey, which collects data on the previous year’s K–12 and higher education construction projects nationwide.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Announces Acquisition of JJCA

    Wold Architects & Engineers, based in Minneapolis, Minn., recently announced that it has acquired JJCA, an architecture firm based in Nashville, Tenn., according to a press release. JJCA specializes in healthcare and education design; the partnership allows both firms to expand their presence across the country while building on existing strengths.

  • Auburn University Debuts $224M STEM + Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., recently opened its new $224-million STEM + Agricultural Sciences Complex, the largest research construction project in the university’s history, according to university news. The facility measures more than 265,000 square feet and brings six departments from the College of Agriculture and College of Sciences and Mathematics together under one roof.