On April 29th, CSUN broke ground on the new 62,500 SF, three-story Sierra Annex on land immediately south of Sierra Hall. The Design-Build project is led by general contractor Gilbane Construction Company, along with Gensler leading the design team.
Sierra Annex will be the first new academic classroom building opened since Chaparral Hall, home to the Department of Biology, in 2009. The Annex will add much-needed classrooms and lecture halls — 38 in total, including a 3,000 SF, 130-seat lecture hall, two 80-seat lecture halls, and two seminar rooms — with flexible seating, the latest audio-visual equipment, and an energy-efficient design. The modern design focuses on utilizing natural light, maximizing flexibility, and encouraging collaboration amongst students and professors by creating active learning environments.
In contrast to Sierra Hall’s 1960s design that included many interior, windowless classrooms, Sierra Annex will take full advantage of natural light in its classrooms and atrium to foster a more welcoming environment. The campus hopes to enhance student teamwork by including seating areas in the lobby, corridors, and waiting areas that are bright, flexible, and inspirational.
Gensler and Gilbane are familiar partners for CSUN, having designed and built the campus’ Sustainability Center in 2017, the first of its kind in the CSU; Gensler also recently completed CSUN’s Orchard Conference Center adjacent to the Campus Store. The $49.9 million project is financed by CSU state funds, and is expected to open at the start of the fall 2023 semester. All colleges will be welcome to use the general-purpose classrooms that Sierra Annex will provide.
Follow the links below to read more about Sierra Annex.