July 3, 2008
Penn State Worthington Scranton's new Business Building will be a $5.9-million, state-of-the-art learning facility that will feature:
- A trading room
- E-learning classroom
- Technology classroom
- Conference room
- Tiered lecture hall
- Cyber café
- Five break-out classrooms
- Faculty offices
The new Business Building will combine academic classrooms with the expected corporate amenities to create a unique learning facility and community resource that will provide:
- Quality learning and study areas for students
- High-technology spaces to engage the community in business partnerships, lectures and training
- Design a learning environment conducive to both in-class and on-line instruction
- Campus and Community meeting place
The new Business Building is pursuing LEED NC certification under the current v2.2. This stringent process, the most widely used system of its kind measuring a building's "green-ness" or general sustainability, has certainly aided in the conception of The Classroom Building's massing, materials, and systems in the following ways:
- High performance, long-lasting exterior materials are utilized to enclose the building. This includes glazing with state-of-the-art low-E coatings, fluid-applied wall membranes that prohibit air leakage, continuous "ex-sulation" (the placement of rigid insualtion material outbound of framing members, resulting in a continuous, unbroken thermal envelope), and white TPO roofing that reflects sunlight and reduces the "heat island effect". Most importantly, these materials come together to lower the building's lifetime energy consumption.
- High recycled content in major structural materials. All concrete in the project contains post-industrial slag as a substitute for small aggregate; otherwise, the slag would be directed to a landfill. Similarly, all of the structural steel componentry contains a high percentage of recycled content.
- High quality interior spaces. All of the paints and coatings entering the building have been scrutinized to meet/exceed the highest in indoor air quality standards. Installed carpets receive the stringent Green Label seal, representing a commitment to reducing VOC's (volatile organic compounds) normally founds in commercial carpets.
- Local materials. Many of the materials going into the building are made by fellow Pennsylvanians, or in our neighboring states. This, of course, maintains manufacturing jobs locally, and reduces transportation costs/resultant pollution.
- Energy concerns. State-of-the-art Building Automation System will monitor overall energy usage and building systems. Energy optimization, occupant comfort, and balancing of equipment is fully computerized. Regions of the building such as the Upper Corridor will utilize daylight for most hours of operation; this zone will also be on a computerized dimmer--connected to the Building Automation System--that adds artificial light incrementally.
- Green Power credits from wind and solar sources will provide everyday power.
- Frequent recycling stations that offer building users the option to make the everyday decisions that contribute to a greener world.
To find out about our Business Degree programs, click here.
