Cheyney University Opens New $23 Million Science Center

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania will officially dedicate its state-of-the-art Science Center, the first new academic building constructed on its historic campus in 30 years, on Wednesday, September 3, 2014 at 4 pm. University administrators and trustees will help cut the ribbon, along with PA State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Chancellor Frank T. Brogan, elected officials including State Representative Thaddeus Kirkland, a 1991 Cheyney graduate, and other dignitaries.

The 40,000 square foot, $23 million building which just opened this month for classes, demonstrates Cheyney University’s commitment to address the underrepresentation of minorities and women in the science, technology and mathematics fields and professions. The towering structure houses chemistry, biology, physics and computer laboratories, seminar and lecture rooms, faculty offices, a planetarium, and an external greenhouse.

The building, targeted for Silver LEED certification, utilizes energy-saving daylighting, a demonstration green roof, rain water/gray water recycling, a rain garden, highly efficient mechanical systems and the use of recycled and local materials to maximize effectiveness. In addition, professors will use the building’s design and systems as a teaching tool for students, while the building itself is designed to embody sustainability.

Science Center Green features:

• Light-sensored lobby lighting adjusts the electrical lighting based on the natural sunlight coming into the space.
• Variable speed fume hoods in laboratories allow for reduced flow, saving energy from the fan and minimizing heating and cooling when not in use.
• Contractors recycled 50% of project waste during construction to minimize landfill waste.
• Certified wood from properly managed forests rather than wood from old growth forests was used in the construction.
• Rapidly renewable materials including linoleum floor tile and bamboo wainscoting were used extensively.
• Low-emitting materials, paints and coatings were used to minimize the chance of interior air contamination for building occupants.
• Cisterns will collect some of the roof rainwater. This water will be used to flush the low-flow toilet fixtures in the building.
• An energy efficient mechanical system was installed and will use heat recovery to minimize the use of fossil fuels. The project has a commissioning agent that will ensure that the efficient mechanical systems are running as designed.
• Significant insulation exceeding code requirements minimizes heat loss and gain through the walls.
• Additionally, double glazing with a low-e coating will help minimize heat loss in winter and heat gain in the summer. Windows on the south elevation have sun shades on the exterior to reduce heat gain in the summer and help reflect light further into the office spaces.

CuetoKearney design, LLC of Swarthmore, PA was the architectural firm that designed the Science Center. The newest building on campus prior to this was a suite-style residence hall which opened exactly one year ago on the University’s historic quadrangle.

Source: Cheyney University of Pennsylvania