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in an outline of how sustainable and green design principles could be utilized in campus
buildings starting with a student union.
“The students felt this offered a chance to move the university toward sustainability and
set the example for the rest of the community and the UW System,” said Cain, also an advisor
to Callier and Jaworski’s project. The pair presented their findings to the UW System Board of
Regents, who embraced the guidelines. Another student, Ryan Perkl, was then instrumental
in leading Student Advocacy to commit and contribute 1 million USD to the project. Using
UWRF student funded fees helped make the new UC a reality.

Student Life
The University Center is the primary building for student life and serves as a student
commitment that began with the initial idea and grew into a committee of students who
helped oversee the planning and design process and continued as students helped complete
and ready the building for use. Student positions include a building manager lead workers,
receptionists, event coordinators, and food and retail services, according to Mike Stifter,
director of student life programming.
“One of the underlying principles that predated my time in the student life
programming area is that if we can put our jobs in the hands of students, that is a good
thing,” said Stifter. “We are in the process of hiring students in all areas.”
In the last few months before the University Center opened, Stifter estimates that more
than 2500 student hours were devoted to everything from planning grand-opening
activities to final touches on the building, including computer wiring and installation by
Frednet, the student-run computer center.

Green Building
A wall of glass spans the building façade on the south side, mirroring the gentle curve of the
South Fork of the Kinnickinnic River, which it overlooks. The world-class trout stream offers
a natural beauty that sets the campus apart from others in the region. In addition, the natural
resource offers bountiful opportunities to learn about and protect the meandering waterway PART IV
amid walking trails and native plants.
The commitment to reclaim and recycle materials started with the deconstruction of the
Ames Education Building, the site on which the new UC is constructed. For example, several
architectural elements from Ames were retained for their aesthetic qualities and used as seating
as well as ornamentation and sculpture in the UC.
The design highlights local, natural materials, such as stone from Winona, Minnesota.
The interior makes use of natural lighting and earth-inspired colors throughout. Green
design principles include a 48,000 gallon storage capacity under the building for collecting
rainwater from the roof that is filtered back into the building where it’s used to flush
toilets.
A white roof that reflects sunlight is intended to decrease summer cooling costs, and
energy-efficient windows, LED and photoelectric lighting, and water-saving fixtures
will maximize savings. All cleaning chemicals used in the building are nontoxic and