Description
The College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) was built during the first phase of campus construction in 1997 and lacked a unique identity appropriate for the functions within. The front half was renovated in the first summer to improve utilization of space and to showcase the functions within the closed classrooms and labs. These functional and aesthetic changes were well received by students and faculty. It also generated interest and funding to achieve three goals during the renovation of the remainder of the facility:

- Re-organize, increase efficiency, and showcase the remaining facility, including the addition of state-of-the-art 3d modeling shop facilities on the ground floors.
- Upgrade the facility to meet international fire, safety and accessibility codes (ADA)
- Enhance sustainability, energy efficiency and wellness through initiatives to upgrade both buildings’ active and passive building systems to meet current building and energy codes and standards. Preliminary estimates project an electrical consumption savings between 20-40%.

All architecture design and tender documents were prepared in-house. An MEP firm was hired to redesign the environmental systems, changing over to a chiller system and recalculating loads based on the projected energy savings from window changes and increased roof insulation. The open studios in half of the building and dome windows facilitated a design to allow natural ventilation at certain times of the year.