Center for Integrated Sciences swing space update

Following further deliberations about sustainability initiatives for the swing space required for the construction of the Center for Integrated Sciences (CIS), the Institutional Policy and Planning Committee (IPPC) at its April 5 meeting considered recommendations by the Campus Sustainability Subcommittee (CSS), including redesigning the structure as a two-story building on a smaller footprint.

The recommendation to construct a smaller two-story structure, which was the subcommittee’s top design priority, was approved by the President’s Cabinet on Monday, April 8.

“This effort alone will reduce the negative impact on the surrounding environment and will contribute to greater efficiency in building operations,” the CSS noted in making its recommendation.

In addition to the smaller footprint, the new building will include several of Skidmore’s common sustainable building practices: Low-flow water fixtures, water bottle refill stations, only native and non-invasive plant species in landscaping design, low volatile organic compounds (VOC) paints, LED lighting, and energy-efficient windows.

The building will be located next to an existing parking lot and utility structures, east of Falstaff’s Pavilion, in an area designated in the "2007 Campus Master Plan" for future campus development.

Skidmore remains deeply committed to sustainability and achieving the goals of the "Campus Sustainability Plan," including the pursuit of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the CIS building. The CIS project is the single largest academic initiative in Skidmore’s history and includes 240 new geothermal wells, which will dramatically increase the amount of campus building space being heated and cooled geothermally.

The first part of the project to be completed, the CIS greenhouse, will soon be open for use.

In an April 2019 report, “America’s Top Colleges for Renewable Energy,” by Environment American Research and Policy Center, Skidmore was named among the top four colleges for renewable electricity generated on campus, and among the top five for renewable electricity purchased from off-campus sources.

In February 2019, the Board of Trustees approved a new plan that would reduce the total construction cost and provide a clear timeline for completion of all three phases of the CIS project by 2024. The first phase, the north wing, is expected to be completed by fall 2020 and the second phase, the east wing and renovation of New Dana, by fall 2022. The final phase will be the renovation of Old Dana.