BUILDINGS

Sustainability at Southern Oregon University

How We Build and Operate Sustainably

This isn’t just about saving resources, it’s about investing wisely in buildings that perform better for students today and for the future

Southern Oregon University Churchill Hall

SOU Campus Facilities Master Plan

The 2025-35 Southern Oregon University Campus Facilities Master Plan is an update from the 2010-2020 SOU Master Plan and has been prepared as a guide for campus facility development. The plan is broken down into sections that address the main facilities elements of the SOU campus, which are capital improvements, academic facilities, housing facilities, athletic facilities, and sustainable infrastructure. The full plan can be read here.

SOU’s Building Standards

Sustainability is more than just a design feature or construction element at SOU; it is part of the culture. We build sustainability into construction, renovation and operation of buildings.

All new construction and renovation projects at SOU will strive to follow sustainability standards. Any contractors or partners that SOU work with will also have to meet those sustainability standards. The areas of focus for these standards would include water efficiency, innovation, materials, resources, waste, energy efficiency and others. Where SOU has a number of LEED certified buildings, it also has buildings that are built to LEED silver and above but not formally certified.

SOU Building Highlights

Shasta and McLoughlin Resident Halls

McLoughlin and Shasta Resident Hall were constructed to meet LEED Gold standards. Both were built with recycled materials where suitable. During the construction process, 86% of the waste was diverted away from the landfill. Inside the resident hall, there are efficient plumbing fixtures, advanced temperature controls, LED lights and activated light sensors. On the roof of McLoughlin, there is a 73 kW solar array and on the roof of Shasta there is a slightly larger 82 kW array. To read more about the solar arrays, go to our solar page.

Nearby both McLoughlin and Shasta, there is a bioswale in parking lot 4. This bioswale effectively manages stormwater and significantly reducing contaminants in local waterways. Additionally, it serves as a practical model for eco-friendly water management.

The Hawk Dining Hall

The Hawk Dining Hall was constructed to meet LEED Gold Standards. The Hawk was constructed at the same time and to the same standards as Shasta, and McLoughlin. A unique feature On the roof of The Hawk is a 156.88 kW solar array. Additionally, The Hawk is equipped with a battery energy storage system. To read more about the solar array click here, and to learn about the battery storage system click here

Lithia Motors Pavilion

Lithia Motors Pavilion was constructed to meet LEED Gold standards. Which includes energy efficient LEED lighting, stormwater management, upgraded plumbing fixtures, use of recycled construction materials, and efforts to divert waste from the project away from the landfill. The roof of this building has two solar arrays. Array 1 is 63 kW and Array 2 is 241.4 kW.

Britt Hall

Britt Hall was renovated to a LEED Silver standard in 2021. The building has had the HVAC, Electrical and plumbing systems upgraded or replaced where necessary

Central Hall

Central Hall has been renovated with the HVAC system, electrical systems, and the plumbing upgraded. The roof has also been replaced and is solar ready.

Science Hall

Science Hall was renovated to LEED silver standard in 2015 and the HVAC system, electrical systems, and the plumbing has been upgraded.

Taylor Hall

Taylor Hall had the old windows replaced with new, more efficient windows

Digital Media Center

The lighting in the Digital Media Center has been upgraded to LED lighting, which benefits both energy efficiency and bringing industry standard to the academic programs that use the center.