CCSN Breaks Ground on $24 million State-of-the-Art Library/Classroom Building; Accelerated schedule of “Green” Library resulting in incredible construction cost savings.

LAS VEGAS, NV – Ground was broken Tuesday on site for the future $24 million Library/Classroom Building for the Community College of Southern Nevada. The 3-story, 78,000 SF building is scheduled to open in November 2007. The facility is designed as an icon building, welcoming visitors to the West Charleston Campus.

The joint effort between DCC Architects and Clark & Sullivan Construction is saving several months in time resulting in thousands of dollars in savings from the compounding costs of construction. In order to ensure such collaboration, the Nevada State Public Works Board, on behalf of the Community College of Southern Nevada, has elected to use a Construction Management-at-Risk (CMAR) method for delivery. Within a CMAR, the involvement of the contractor during the design phase helps minimize design alterations, allowing for certain portions of the project to begin construction before design of unrelated portions is complete.

In addition to these cost-savings measures, the library incorporates further energy and environmental savings in its design. Using DCC Architects’ expertise in sustainable design, the facility will be LEED equivalent. According to the U.S. Department of Energy; lighting, heating, and cooling account for about 75 percent of total commercial energy use, with educational facilities being the largest energy users. Projects constructed using sustainable approaches save money, resources and energy, and have less negative impacts on building inhabitants and the local community.

DCC has designed this new library and classroom building to maximize daylighitng, energy efficiency, air quality and use of recycled materials, which will provide some of the more significant cost savings that are associated with green building practices. The library also features a mechanical HVAC system which is designed to bring tempered air down to the floor level, where occupants most need tempered air, and circulated up to a return system at the ceiling. This type of HVAC design offers better ambient air temperatures, which provide increased comfort for all occupants and is a more efficient method of heating and cooling a large and open space. Furthermore, Studies suggest that in educational facilities designed under LEED standards, students perform better, have a lower absenteeism and get sick less often.

"We are very excited about designing a project in which we are able to execute sustainable design concepts, thus providing a facility that could be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council," expresses Domingo Cambeiro, President of DCC Architects, “A building of this type provides the students with a healthier environment, which proven in various studies, is beneficial in the learning process.”

Programmed spaces for the building consist of the 24,000 S.F. library, a coffee shop with interior and exterior seating, a 100 seat lecture room, 2 classrooms dedicated to computer applications instruction, 25 general classrooms with full digital and data connectivity, and office space for administrative staff.

“One of our main goals from the start of this project was to create a facility that best suits the needs of its users and we have accomplished this through numerous programming charrettes with the library and faculty staff, where they were encouraged to voice their needs, requests and opinions,” explains Matt Toepper, Project Manager for DCC Architects, “The combination of this open interaction with our experience and passion truly gives form to a building designed using the centuries-old architectural attributes of firmness, function, and aesthetics.”

The building will be an iconic gateway into the W. Charleston campus symbolizing CCSN’s innovation in learning and its continuing commitment to state-of-the-art facilities, while offering a functional and healthy educational facility for the community.