Cal Poly Pomona will officially move students into its two new eight-story residence halls on Jan. 17 and begin serving meals next door at Centerpointe, the accompanying new 680-seat dining facility.
The campus' newest building project houses 980 students and replaces four residence halls on the north side of campus and a dining facility built in the 1960s.
"These amazing new residence and dining halls are writing the next chapter in the legacy of this great university," University President Soraya M. Coley said.
Designed to foster community and provide multiple opportunities for socializing, every floor has two large community living rooms; a smaller, more informal living room space; a study room and an end of hallway study nook. Floor-to-ceiling windows in community spaces offer views of the San Gabriel Mountains and Chino Hills.
Both Sicomoro Hall and Secoya Hall - the Spanish names for the sycamore and sequoia trees - also have large community lounges with large screen televisions, community kitchens, laundry facilities and bike storage rooms.
A nature-inspired interior motif and color palette permeate the interior through flooring, guardrails and ceiling design. Digitally fabricated organic patterns add warmth and a home-like atmosphere to the mid-rise buildings.
Centerpointe, the dining facility, will provide a new campus community gathering space. With seating for 680 people, the venue features seven food platform stations, a late-night dining option, local Jones Coffee Roasters, Lollicup, and a grab-n-go shop featuring fresh sandwiches and salads. Vegan and vegetarian options will be available at every station, and diners can access gluten-free, allergen-free, lactose-free and high protein dishes.
The late-night dining area, with a video screen that is 15 feet tall, will also host events and be a center of activity.
Built to LEED Gold standards, the $185 million project adds to Cal Poly Pomona's legacy in sustainability and green-building practices. The 280,000 square-foot project features LED lighting, operable windows and individual thermostats in each student room, motion-detection lighting, a chilled water-cooling system, reflective roof system and a highly insulated, and reflective glazed skin on the exterior walls, among other sustainable features.
"The new residence halls and dining commons offer modern amenities and designed community-building spaces that had not been invented or conceptualized when our traditional facilities were built in the 1960s," said Megan Stang, executive director of University Housing Services. "Although some residents will be able to call these new buildings home, all residents will be able to take advantage of what the new buildings have to offer."
Mooris Taylor served as Cal Poly Pomona's project manager. The project's architects were HMC Architects (towers) and EYRC Architects (dining commons). Sundt Construction was the collaborative design build contractor.