Sustainability Center

The Associated Students (AS) at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) designed and constructed a 10,000 square-feet Sustainability Center that opened in September 2017.

The AS Sustainability Center is a multi-functional space and use to serve as the central collection location for the campus recyclables. Recycling operations are now managed by the campus Facilities Management and the Sustainability Center has since shifted to hosting programs and services that focused on promoting a sustainable culture in the CSUN community.

It serves as the public face and administrative hub for AS Sustainability's and AS Productions' program and services, as the home of the administrative offices of the Institute for Sustainability, and as a focal point for the University community for educational programs, services and issues related to the environment and sustainability.

Check out this quick video below of how the center operated before 2017:

Virtual Tour

With so many key sustainable measures, the Sustainability Center acts as a symbol of sustainability on campus. The LEED Platinum certified Sustainability Center at CSUN is a multifunctional work space with several sustainable features and measures that may interest you.

Today, Recycling operations are now managed by the campus Facilities Management and the Sustainability Center has since shifted to hosting programs and services that focused on promoting a sustainable culture for the CSUN community.

Watch this video to take a virtual tour of the Center of when it was first used as a Recycling Operations Center and to see all of its fascinating features.

Virtual Art Tour

All paintings, photographs, and structures were inspired by the environment and its elements. All artwork was purchased by Associated Students from graduates of the CSUN Art Department. Enjoy the video.

Artwork

Stacey Alexander - Disappearing into the Weeds 1 (2015)

Theresa Knopf Morgan - Reunion no. 1-4 ( 2015)

Guillermina Zuniga - We are Nature-Yellow-Green (2017)

Erika Ostrander - Compression 5 (2016)

Michelle Nunes - 500 Years to forever (2017)

Kellan King - Tree branch

Garen Novruzyan - Flowwe Pow (2016)

Anne Aubuchon, Hollly Stuczynski, Christopher Taylor, Matt Rose, Megan Hannah, Mariana Reyes, Charline Nacion, Daisy Ramirez, Diana Flores, Ivan Villagomez, Ian Arroyo, Jasmine Carillo, Thania Galvan, Elise Allen, Andrea Aleman, Joshua Calderon, Adebayo Ogunmowo, Matt Brugger, Elizabeth Jensen, Malayna Busik - Landscape(2019)

Donate to Center

The Sustainability Center is a multi-functional space, serving primarily as an expanded central collections location for the campus recyclables. It will also serve as the home of AS Recycling, the Institute for Sustainability, and as a focal point for the University community providing educational programs and services related to the environment and sustainability.

Adopt-a-Panel Donors can contribute to helping purchase and name a photovoltaic panel for the roof of the Center
The seminar room, offices, courtyard and recycling yard all have naming opportunities
Materials for use in the construction of this state-of-the art facility will be tax-deductible

Donate to the Sustainability Center

Sustainability Center Highlights

DAYLIGHTING

The daylighting in the AS Sustainability Center has been carefully selected to efficiently illuminate each space. Daylight harvesting is an integral component and energy management technique that reduces overhead lighting use by utilizing natural or ambient light present in the different building spaces. The daylighting feature is aided by different photosensors located along the north facing facade and by light dimming or switching OFF capabilities when sufficient ambient light is present or when the space is unoccupied.

LIGHTING MEASURES

The lighting in the AS Sustainability Center has been carefully selected to efficiently illuminate each space. In order to take advantage of natural daylight entering the building, photosensors have been located along the north facing façade. The photosensors reduce the artificial lighting levels when adequate natural daylight is present. Occupancy sensors are also located throughout to conserve energy.

OPERABLE WINDOWS

The AS Sustainability Center has operable windows throughout, giving occupancy access to natural ventilation and a connection to outdoors. Sensors built into the window frame automatically shut-down the HVAC system for the room when the window is open.

GREYWATER COLLECTION & REUSE

The AS Sustainability Center collects water from the lavatories, shower, and HVAC condensate for irrigation use. The self-contained greywater collection unit is located underground, where the water is lightly filtered, sanitized with ultraviolet light, and distributed to the weather-monitoring irrigation system.

LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT LANDSCAPING

An existing paved service yard devoid of landscaping has been transformed into a regionally appropriate drought-tolerant garden that complements the aspirations of the AS Sustainability Center. Plant material has been specifically selected based on their environmental performance benefits: reducing water demand, creating habitat, filtering stormwater, and minimizing energy use by lowering ambient air temperatures.

MECHANICAL MEASURES

The AS Sustainability Center uses a high efficiency Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system. The all-electric cooling and heating system is powered by the solar photovoltaic system. No natural gas is used, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of the building.

SOLAR PANELS

The AS Sustainability Center has 85 roof-mounted solar photovoltaic panels totaling 24 kW of solar energy. The electricity generated from this system averages 34,000 kWh per year.

SOLAR HOT WATER

Two flat plate solar collectors on the roof provide the majority of the domestic hot water for the AS Sustainability Center. This system uses temperature-sensing pumps and controllers to operate two storage tanks on sunny days, and isolate one tank on cloudy days. This concentrates the heating energy and limits the backup electric heat needed.

REPURPOSED FURNITURE

Our Outreach and Operations team work areas have been furnished with nearly-new repurposed desks and pedestals. Furnishings were donated by Interior Removal Specialist, Inc., and CSUN/PPM Asset Management.

Leed Platinum

NORTHRIDGE, CA - The new Associated Students (AS) Sustainability Center at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) has set a new standard in environmentally friendly and sustainable buildings by receiving a score of 82 on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system certifying the building as LEED Platinum.

LEED (which stands for Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design) is a certification program and globally recognized benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2000 through a consensus process, LEED serves as a market-driven tool and third-party verified standard of sustainable design and operation across the entire building lifecycle. Under LEED, there are 100 possible base points distributed across six credit categories including Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation in Design. A score of 80 and above is required to receive the highest level of Platinum Certification.

Making its mark as the first building of its kind on any California State University, the AS Sustainability Center opened its doors on Thursday, October 26th, 2017. The AS Sustainability Center serves primarily as an expanded central collections location for the campus recyclables. It also acts as the home of AS Sustainability and Recycling Services, the Institute for Sustainability, and as the focal point for the university community providing educational programs and services related to the environment and sustainability.

Some of the significant features of the building include:

The AS Sustainability Center’s chief goal is to reduce the campus waste stream by as much as 50%, working towards a zero waste standard goal. The zero waste standard goal strives to “minimize waste as much as possible by capturing recyclables through the five R’s: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and restore,” as said by Roland Valiente, the Recycling Operations Supervisor, and Cynthia Signett, the Recycling Coordinator, of AS Sustainability and Recycling Services. This building is a hallmark achievement to add to the countless efforts towards making California State University, Northridge a sustainable campus.

For more information on the Center, visit http://csunas.org/sustainabilitycenter

The daylighting in the Center has been carefully selected to illuminate each space efficiently. Daylight harvesting is an integral component and energy management technique that reduces overhead lighting use by utilizing natural or ambient light present in the different building spaces. The daylighting feature is aided by various photosensors located along the north facing facade and by light dimming or switching OFF capabilities when sufficient ambient light is present or when space is unoccupied.
The lighting in the Center has been carefully selected to illuminate each space efficiently. Photosensors placed along the north facing façade, take advantage of natural daylight entering the building. The photosensors reduce the artificial lighting levels when adequate natural daylight is present. Occupancy sensors are also located throughout to conserve energy.
The Center has operable windows throughout, giving occupancy access to natural ventilation and a connection to outdoors. Sensors built into the window frame automatically shut-down the HVAC system for the room when the window is open.
The Center collects water from the lavatories, shower, and HVAC condensate for irrigation use. The self-contained greywater collection unit is located underground, where the water is lightly filtered, sanitized with ultraviolet light, and distributed to the weather-monitoring irrigation system.
An existing paved service yard devoid of landscaping has been transformed into a regionally appropriate drought-tolerant garden that complements the aspirations of the Center. Plant material has been specially selected based on their environmental performance benefits: reducing water demand, creating habitat, filtering stormwater, and minimizing energy use by lowering ambient air temperatures.
The Center uses a high-efficiency Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system. The solar photovoltaic system powers the all-electric cooling and heating system. No natural gas is used, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of the building.
The Center has 85 roof-mounted solar photovoltaic panels totaling 24 kW of solar energy. The electricity generated from this system averages 34,000 kWh per year.
Two flat plate solar collectors on the roof provide the majority of the domestic hot water for the Center. This system uses temperature-sensing pumps and controllers to operate two storage tanks on sunny days and isolate one tank on cloudy days, concentrating the heating energy and limits the backup electric heat needed.
Our Outreach and Operations team work area has been fitted with nearly-new repurposed desks and pedestals. Furnishings were donated by Interior Removal Specialist, Inc., and CSUN/PPM Asset Management.
Water use is limited using a Vacuum Composting System that can operate at 1/20 gallon per flush. The primary components are the Vacuum Toilets, Vacuum Pump, and a Composter where the breakdown of waste is accelerated with the use of aerobic microbes, heat, and evaporation. The resulting byproduct has the consistency of common soil.