December 15, 2006:: No. 98

University and business leaders, alumni and students will gather Monday, Dec. 18, as the final steel beam is put into place on Steven G. Mihaylo Hall, the future home for Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics.

A “topping-off” celebration for the achievement is scheduled from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in front of Langsdorf Hall, adjacent to the construction site on the south side of campus.

This will cap the first phase of construction of the five-story, 195,000-square-foot building, which — like other recently constructed facilities on campus — features a number of elements designed for energy efficiency, including a reflectant or cool roof system, sun shading devices, high-performance glazing, energy-efficient lighting, and an automated building control system. Landscaping for the structure will include native, drought-tolerant plants.
           
“Not only is this building energy efficient in how it is being built and will operate, it’s also state-of-the-art,” said Anil Puri, dean of the College of Business and Economics. It will feature “smart” classrooms and lecture facilities, computer labs, student support areas, administrative and office space, and house the college’s various centers and institutes.

“The centers and institutes contribute to the overall strength and economy of the state and region and provide valuable resources to community members and business leaders.”
           
The building is named after CSUF alumnus Steven G. Mihaylo, founder and chief executive officer of Phoenix-based Inter-Tel, a publicly traded provider of communications hardware, software and services. Mihaylo has given $4.5 million in pledges and contributions to the College of Business and Economics.
           
“We’re doing real well in energy consumption,” said Jay Bond, associate vice president, facilities management, noting that Cal State Fullerton is purchasing 16 percent alternate or “green” power, which is defined as electricity that is partially or entirely generated from environmentally friendly resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal or other means. The campus also has upgraded lighting, as well as its heating and cooling systems, to be more energy efficient, and the use of electric and alternative fuel vehicles is growing. “I believe that we have probably one of the most energy efficient campuses in the state because we use less BTUs per square foot, and per student, than other CSU campuses,” said Bond.
           
This spring, the university welcomed the opening of the Fullerton Arboretum Visitor Center, the campus’s first “green” building. The center design — featuring natural ventilation and light; low-flow faucets and low-volume toilets; lighting with multilevel switching and motion sensors; and recycled building materials for exterior siding, insulation and flooring — garnered a Best Practices Award for Overall Sustainable Design during the 4th annual UC/CSU Sustainability Conference in 2005.        
           
A $15 million campaign to help build Mihaylo Hall and to create endowments for student scholarships, academic programs and centers was launched last year with a $1 million-plus pledge from Emulex Chairman Paul Folino, for whom the road adjacent to Mihaylo Hall is named.

 For more information on the campaign, contact Marcia Harrison, director of development in the College of Business and Economics, at 657-278-4869 or mharrison@fullerton.edu.

Architect for the $82 million project is Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum Inc.; contractor is Turner Construction Co. Construction is slated for completion in 2008.

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