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Center for Sustainability
Santa Clara University

Paul L. Locatelli, S.J. Student Activities Center

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The University's new student building is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold building!

The center was completed in June of 2010 in 
Fr. Engh, LEED
honor of the longest serving university president, Paul Locatelli, S.J., who passed away in July of 2010 from pancreatic cancer. The structure was created as a center for student groups and activities, housing large multipurpose rooms and conference rooms. While the second floor has office spaces for student organizations, the lower floor is a 6,000-square-foot assembly hall, complete with disco ball suspended from the 20-foot ceiling. Read below to learn more about the sustainable features of SCU's newest building.
 
Visit the Center for Student Leadership's website to learn more about the Locatelli Student Activity Center.
 

The Student Activities Center is designed to blend in with other buildings on campus, and integrates energy efficient features like trellises and overhangs to reduce direct solar gain on the south and west face of the building.

Use of mortar-free pavers and decomposed granite for walkways around the building reduce water runoff. Unlike traditional cement sidewalks which are completely water tight and drive water toward storm drains to flow straight into the bay, brick pavers are permeable and allow water to pass through them. Water runoff from the building is diverted to planting areas to increase the infiltration rate and reduce the impact of storm water.

The Student Activities Center is equipped with standard University recycling, waste, and composting bins. Student work areas have ample recycling and composting capabilities, and students using the building are strongly encouraged to divert their waste from the landfill. SCU collects plastics #1-7, paper, aluminum, glass, and tin in “recycle” containers, food waste and biodegradable containers in “compost” containers, and whatever else remains in containers labeled “landfill waste”.

Paints, surface coatings, and adhesives in the Paul L. Locatelli, S. J. Student Activities Center were chosen based on their low-emissions or non-emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Carpets are certified “Green Label” by the Carpet and Rug Institute, meaning the carpets are the lowest emitting carpet products on the market.