After two years of construction, the brand new Environmental Science Building at Skyline College is now open!
Over 400 people celebrated the momentous occasion at a ribbon cutting event on Tuesday, September 24 that hosted elected officials from across the region, local community leaders, faculty, staff and lots of students. The energy in the room was palpable as attendees conducted self-guided tours to learn about the environmental design of the building and check out the state of the art classrooms and learning resources.
The zero-waste grand opening event ensured that no waste was sent to landfills, thereby embodying the spirit of social and environmental justice at the heart of the building’s mission.
Speaking to all in attendance, Interim President Jackson stated, “This college has always striven to be at the forefront – to push against the status quo – and move our institution forward together…This Environmental Science Building stands as a symbol of that legacy.”
The Environmental Science Building project was years in the making as teams from the district’s Facilities Planning, Maintenance & Operations’ Division and Skyline College worked closely with DES Architects to determine what was needed in this new space and how it could best serve students and our community. From there, a beautiful design was born and the construction planning set in motion with XL Construction. And slowly, but surely, the building rose up from Vista Point as hundreds of individuals worked countless hours to make it happen.
Dr. Jackson concluded her remarks with a look to the future:
“The Environmental Science Building or Building 12, is about looking to the future. It quite literally encourages us to look to the horizon and the world beyond this campus. And, it encourages us to think big and dream even bigger.”
Article by Connor Fitzpatrick
