Student Life Expands

New Student Union at a glance:

• 300-seat food court-style dining area
• 200-seat lecture hall/movie theater
• ballroom
• lounge space
• convenience store
• 5,700 square-foot bookstore
• coffee shop
• office space for the Student Government Association, Campus Union Board, and the Office of Student Affairs

Outdoor features include:

• wide wrap-around front and rear porticos,
• plazas for seating
• water fountains

Ground was broken on September 23 for the Armstrong Atlantic State University Student Union in the heart of campus. The new $16 million, 60,180 square-foot facility will change the face of the university and bring expanded services to a growing student population, including more than 860 resident students. The two-story building is rising adjacent to the existing Memorial College Center. It will become the hub of student activity and bridge between the student residential areas and the academic buildings.

A $90 student fee approved by the Student Government Association and the University Fees Committee in 2007 is financing the project. No public funds are involved.

Some of the more prominent features of the building will be a large cast stone Pirate head and an open solar stairwell with sweeping views of the campus through floor-to-ceiling glass pane windows.

Armstrong Atlantic contracted with the architectural firm Burt Hill to design the building, relying on the traditional Georgian style of architecture of existing structures on the campus. The design also incorporates elements of glass and masonry and supports all the modern amenities expected by today's university students. The building will have broadband wireless technology throughout and connectivity to all campus computer networks.

The new Student Union has the distinction of the being the first green building on campus. Energy-saving features include the use of rapidly renewable materials, such as bamboo wood and a high-efficiency chilled water system for cooling. Construction will include the use of recycled glass tile and concrete. Porticos and roof lines are designed to deflect direct sunlight from the building's interior. The university has applied for certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

The footprint of the project calls for additional pedestrian common areas and the restriction of vehicular traffic in the heart of the campus. The external features of the building and its orientation in relation to other structures - mainly the academic quad, the library, and the residence halls - will encourage bicycle and foot traffic across the campus.

The Student Union is being built by Choate Construction, one of the largest general contractors in the Southeast.