Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union
Fresno, California
Design team
Blair, Church & Flynn; Quadriga; Miyamoto; Intech Mechanical; The Engineering Enterprise; Cosco Fire Protection; Ricca Design Studios; CTU Precast
The Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union is sited on an open area of about 3.5 acres created by the demolition of the 1957 Keats Campus Building and an open amphitheater built in 1967.
The program is sculpted into two distinct building masses. The multipurpose ballroom is a one-story element on the east side of the complex, and the other uses are stacked into a three-story structure aligned along the western edge of the site, facing the library and the University Student Union. Indoor WOW spaces open directly to outdoor landscaped spaces surrounding the building’s large two-story eastern curtain wall glazing.
The primary exterior surface is composed of structurally insulated concrete panels that provide both gravity and lateral resistance. These cost-effective, premanufactured panels provide structural support and exterior finish consistent with Fresno State vernacular; they promote sustainability by reducing materials, providing sun-shading and improving interior flexibility with fewer shear walls or braces.
Site improvements include outdoor plazas, an amphitheater, and lawn areas that provide engaging spaces accommodating a wide range of uses. The ballroom plaza on the east complements indoor programming and provides additional spill-out space. The amphitheater and lawns offer their own unique programmable space while complementing and enlarging the indoor Town Center space to accommodate larger groups and programmed events. The north, south, and west plazas are designed as potential locations for mobile concessions.
This project achieves Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold equivalency. Sustainable design features include environmentally responsive stormwater management systems; reuse of existing amphitheater concrete; recycle & composite trash yard; water-efficient landscaping; high-efficiency irrigation system for water reduction measures; integrated sun shades; photovoltaic panels for 25% of building energy load; energy-efficient LED lighting fixtures; indirect daylighting; low-flow plumbing fixtures; and incorporation of a cool roof.
Additional Information
Associated Firm
McCarthy Building Companies (Design-Build Contractor)
Capacity
2,813
Cost per Sq Ft
$715.00
Featured in
2023 Architectural Portfolio
Interior category
Student Centers/Service Areas
Product suppliers specified
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