Current News

TRENCHSIDE CHAT                        Fall Semester 2009
an update from Facilities Services

INFRASTRUCTURE IN CAMPUS CENTER TO BEGIN

Work started this summer on the next phase of the Infrastructure Replacement Project. This last phase will complete the project, installing nine utilities, all critical to the growth and future operation of the campus. These are Water, Data, Electricity, Gas, Sewer, Heating and Cooling Piping and Reclaimed Water and Storm water utilities. This work will occur throughout the center of the campus from now until next April.

We realize that this kind of work in such close proximity to classrooms, offices and other campus services is going to be disruptive, and are making every effort to minimize the impact. Before each sequence begins we will provide maps of the construction area and the detour paths around and through them. We will maintain emergency access, accessible pedestrian access and vehicular access, though those will probably be along a different path than normal. The focus is on maintaining safe and secure paths of travel, and communicating the work in as many places as possible. The work has been scheduled, as much as possible, with awareness of the academic calendar, campus activities and particular needs that we know about. The first sequence of work is in Parking Lot 1, and in Parking Lot 9. This work will continue until October.

The latest update of all projects is presented on the third Tuesday of each month at the Facilities Master Planning Committee meeting. Your attendance is encouraged. Watch for the notices.

MORE BUILDING PROJECTS STARTING SOON
These are some of the upcoming projects.

A wall and Kiln area at the Art Building will provide improved safety for the interim until the new Visual Arts Building is constructed. The recently vacated Nursing building will be renovated as general classrooms with a resource center for the Nursing program. The Weight Room and Trainers Facility modulars will be completed. A New Classroom Building is going to be built in what is now Parking Lot 5. It will house general education classrooms, science labs, offices and the new home for the Information Services Department. In the West Valley, our West Valley Center is in studies now. That project is envisioned to be highly sustainable campus.

SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS
During campus master planning, and before any buildings began design, College of the Desert Design Guidelines were developed. Within these guidelines direction is given that all buildings are to be built to minimize environmental impacts, to promote health and safety and to have effective lifecycle costs. Our two recently completed buildings, the Barker Nursing Center and the Public Safety Academy were registered for LEED certification, and designed and constructed under the guidelines set for that certification. Those projects have been submitted for certification and we expect to learn at what level in the coming months. LEED is “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.” This is a set of standards developed and administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. Standards are set for Energy Efficiency, Air Quality, Materials Resources, Water Efficiency and other elements.  You can find out more about this at http://www.usgbc.org.

Our new Cravens Student Services Center, now under construction, is also registered for LEED. Once it is commissioned by a qualified LEED commissioner, we will submit it for certification, and we’ll continue to do so with each of our new projects. Some renovations may also qualify, but again, all projects will be designed and built to sustainable guidelines.

A very exciting project is the potential of the West Valley Center. That campus has the potential of demonstrating in building design, operation, and practice, all of the latest technological advances in alternate energy sources, very highly sustainable buildings and site, and programs that support training in Green Jobs and other related studies. Look for development of the program for that campus throughout the coming year.

Did you know that over the years we have already taken measures towards “greening” the campus? We have energy efficient boilers and chillers, and use a thermal energy system that makes ice at night, from which the campus is cooled during the day. We’ve installed “cool roofs” with extra insulation which reflect heat and keep air conditioning in. We have an energy management system to control the various parts of the system most efficiently. We’ve installed energy efficient lighting, and motion sensors as well as natural lighting.

Our master plan calls for introduction of water efficient landscaping—”xeriscaping”, and as projects are designed and built the campus will evolve into a more water efficient site, using secondary water sources for irrigation.

We are working now to introduce “green cleaning”, improve the recycling efforts on campus, and further reduce energy use by a combination of retro-commissioning buildings; a method of re-establishing the efficiencies designed into them. We still have the potential to perform some additional lighting and air conditioning replacements to realize higher efficiency.

Within operations, we are looking at several ways to reduce our use of energy, water, and other resources, and in this year, with budget pressures that we are experiencing, this has become all the more important. We’re finding lighting and equipment that can be turned off without impact to students or staff, and have turned off fountains this semester to save both electricity and water. This fall, we will not overseed with winter rye grass. This will save water, fuel for equipment, and will demonstrate our willingness to not act out of habit, but rather to be thoughtful about where our resources are spent.
We know that there are many on campus who are actively involved in reducing, reusing, and recycling. We receive suggestions regularly about how to improve our program and very much welcome your input.

HAVE A GREAT SEMESTER, AND AS THE SIGN SAYS…”KEEP RIGHT.”