Sundt Completes State-of-the-Art Science Complex at Sac State


The recently completed Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex at Sac State is set near the banks of the American River.


By Carol Eaton When students walked into


Sacramento State’s brand-new state-of- the-art Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex at the start of classes this August, they found an open, inviting space that is clearly centered around the theme of putting science on display. What is less apparent, but of


equal significance, is the high level of collaboration, cooperation, innovation and collective vision that the design- build project team put into delivering the new facility. Headed up by Sundt Construction along with a design team led by CO Architects and working closely with owner, CSU Sacramento, the design-build team completed the architecturally striking, five-story, 96,000-sq.-ft. science complex on schedule this July, only 26 months after breaking ground.


Environmentally Friendly Facility Te new science complex provides


www.AGC-CA.org


30 teaching and research laboratories for the chemistry and biology depart- ments of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Sac State. From its instructional labs, framed by large expanses of glass to enable people in outside corridors to see science in action, to its 2,500-sq.-ft. planetarium, its rooftop observatory with retractable roof and telescopes for viewing the night sky, and its extensive collaboration spaces and terraces, the new facility stands in stark contrast to the circa-1970s science building that it replaces. Te highly sustainable, LEED


gold designed building incorporates myriad energy saving and environmen- tally friendly features. Among them, a grass-covered roof provides insulation and captures stormwater. Te build- ing’s foundation employs a special engineered technology of rammed aggregate piers, and all soils excavated during that process were recycled for use in other areas, including for


construction of the raised berm at the building’s entry. Set on the banks of the American


River, the new science complex offers sweeping views of the Guy West Bridge all the way to Cal Expo from its upper floors. Te building’s façade is inspired by the rippling effect created when a stone is tossed into water, with the stone represented by the planetarium and its dome. A patterned window system radiates outward to intensify the ripple effect, enhanced by variations in the precast colors.


Behind-the-Scenes Look On June 5, 2019 a group of AGC


of California CLC members had the opportunity to get an up-close, behind- the-scenes look at the innovative project as it was nearing completion. Te jobsite tour led by Sundt senior project manager Sean Falvey provided an edifying look at a project that


Continued on page 8 Associated General Contractors of California 7


Photo by Robby Brown, Sundt Construction


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