Chico State University Selects Turner Construction Company to Build Net-Zero Energy Building

Groundbreaking ceremony held to launch construction of new $98 million home of College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

Turner Construction Company is pleased to announce that it has broken ground on a building for the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Chico State University. The highly sustainable, $98 million building will be the first net-zero energy building on campus and the third in the California State University (CSU) system.

Sustainable aspects of the 94,000-square-foot building include solar panels, an efficient water system, a design that maximizes daylight and utilization of LED lighting, a chilled beam cooling system, and an indoor garden.

The building will be home to nine academic departments and will offer 22 classrooms, five laboratories, and one large, tiered lecture hall, as well as faculty offices, conference space, breakout rooms to foster collaboration, and open and enclosed study spaces.

“As we work to attract and serve the next generation of changemakers, we’re proud to do so with one of the most state-of-the-art buildings in the entire CSU system,” said President Gayle Hutchinson. “It sets a standard for the high-quality, high-value educational experience we offer at Chico State now and well into the future, while raising the bar for future efforts to support our commitment to sustainability.”

Dan Wheeler, vice president and general manager for Turner Construction Company, is a proud Chico State alumni and is thrilled to be a part of the construction of the building. “To be a part of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences project 30 years after I graduated means so much to me and our company,” Wheeler said. “We hire many Chico State students and with this project, we can catch up with students on a regular basis and they will be able to see what a real-world job of this magnitude looks like.”

The building, designed by AC Martin, will open to students in fall 2024.