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

  • Enjoy Tax and Energy Savings with the Right Ceiling Solutions

    Thanks to recent innovations pairing mineral fiber ceiling panels with phase change material technology (PCM), architects, designers, facility managers, and other key players in construction and renovation projects are re-thinking the role ceilings play in supporting environmental objectives—especially energy savings.

  • Texas District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The Splendora Independent School District (SISD) in Splendora, Texas, recently broke ground on a replacement facility for Greenleaf Elementary School, according to a news release. The district partnered with planning, engineering and program management firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) for the project.

  • California District Starts Construction on New Robotics Facility

    The Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD) near Silicon Valley, Calif., recently announced that construction has begun on a new Robotics Facility on the campus of Cupertino High School, according to a news release. The 14,500-square-foot facility will serve students at high schools across the entire district, providing purpose-built spaces for student creativity and collaboration.

  • Rice University to Build New Student Life Complex

    Rice University in Houston, Texas, recently announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Moody Center Complex for Student Life (MCCSL) will take place on May 8, 2025, according to a university news release. The 75,000-square-foot facility was designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig with Page serving as executive architect, and it has an estimated completion date of fall 2027.

Digital Edition