When students return to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, they will be greeted by one new building and one building with a new lease on life.
Members of the CU Board of Regents will join with UCCS campus officials to officially “re” dedicate the first university-constructed building on the campus, Dwire Hall, at 1 p.m. Aug. 16.
At 2:30 p.m., the Regents and campus officials will dedicate a new Campus Recreation Center, cutting a ceremonial green ribbon that signifies the building’s energy-efficient design. Planned speakers include Pat Hayes, chair, CU Board of Regents, CU President Hank Brown, UCCS Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak and UCCS student leaders.
“These buildings are installments on the UCCS quest to become America’s premier regional university,” Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak said. “Students will have the opportunity to learn and to play in facilities that are second to none.”
In 2005, students voted to fund the creation of a Campus Recreation Center. The 54,000 square foot center will, during the fall semester, include aerobic and strength and conditioning areas, a bouldering wall, a four-lane swimming pool and two gymnasiums with an elevated running track. The capital project was funded with student fees, memberships and gifts. An $80 per semester student fee helped fund the $12 million project.
The new campus recreation center will relieve the demands on the existing facility, which is shared with university athletics and was built in 1988 when the student body was about half of what it is today.
The 15-month, $10 million Dwire Hall renovation corrects foundation/structural problems, brings the 1972-era building into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and upgrades classroom technology. Dwire Hall was the first UCCS building constructed after the university took over the bankrupt Cragmor Sanitarium, a hospital for people with tuberculosis. The building was named in honor of George J. Dwire, a Cragmor trustee, who authorized the sale of the hospital buildings and 80 surrounding acres for CU’s use for $1.
The renovation adds 14,069 square feet to the building providing additional classroom, research and facility spaces critical for the growth of the College of Business and Administration, the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and the School of Public Affairs.
A new all-glass façade will make Dwire Hall visible from throughout the region.
Both buildings were constructed to reflect a campus commitment to sustainability.
Campus Recreation Center Facts
UCCS received a $20,000 grant from the Governor’s Energy Office/Rebuild Colorado to fund planning efforts in sustainable design and to support Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
Efficient plumbing fixtures and low-water landscape designs are projected to reduce building water use by 30 percent.
Exterior walls were constructed with insulated concrete form, which provides a high insulation value and increases energy efficiency.
In considering the indoor environmental quality, low chemical paints, adhesives, sealants and carpets were used.
Construction waste management was employed to divert more than 75 percent of construction materials from landfills.
Infrastructure was installed for solar pre-heat for the swimming pool.
More than 40 percent of the building structure came from recycled content and local or regional materials.
Dwire Hall Facts
Improved thermal insulation on exterior walls, thermally broken window frames and low-E coated, high performance glass are among the features that will conserve energy.
The sustainable materials used in the renovation include paints and adhesives of low volatile organic compounds; carpeting manufactured with recycled materials; formaldehyde-free cabinetry; and veneered maple cabinetry made from sustainably managed domestic forests.
Sensors in all offices will turn off lights after a specified period of unoccupied time.
Advanced, building-wide lighting control system will turn off building lights after hours and low voltage switches are located at each building entry.
Low-flow water closets were installed.
An evaporative pre-cooling kit will allow UCCS to participate in a Colorado Springs Utilities peak electricity demand rebate program
UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in northeast Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado, and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The University offers 29 bachelor’s degrees, 18 masters’, and four doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 7,600 students annually.