CSU Warner College of Natural Resources

Project Description 

Located on CSU's main campus, the Michael Smith Warner College of Natural Resources (MSWCNR) addition and renovation will add four stories and approximately 42,800 gsf of new space to the south of the existing building.

The project will house flipped classrooms, instructional laboratories, a Student Success Center, an outdoor terrace, offices, and meeting/collaboration spaces.

The MSWCNR addition is centered around the needs of the students, from the large auditorium to the flexible teaching labs to the "treehouse," a collaboration studio convertible to an outdoor terrace.

The facility has been designed to tell the story of natural resources, create a teaching tool for students and faculty, and root the project to the place. Natural materials (stone and wood) and natural elements (sun and wind) are incorporated throughout the student experience with an emphasis on building collaboration, curiosity and community.

The addition will serve as the focus of community outreach and student engagement, and it will allow the college to grow its reach, enrich education, propel discovery, and increase its impact on the world.

Pinkard and 4240 Architecture were awarded the lump sum design-build contract following a lengthy design-build competition that included numerous collaborative design-build workshops with CSU, the College, and its many user groups. The award was based upon the best value proposition that included design aesthetics, add alternates, and final price.