Talking Stick - May/June 2008 - (Page 50)

Strike Up the Brand affairs, who oversees residential life. “The process itself was very inclusive, reﬂecting our shared governance,” Marchant says. “And the building image became a combination of environmental responsibility and aesthetics. It had to look creative, with lots of colors, and also establish seamless connections between indoors and outdoors. We wanted balconies, gardens, and study rooms so students could interact on not just a social but an intellectual level.” In 2007, with the opening of the green residences, Pitzer College raised the bar on “walking the environmental walk,” while simultaneously conﬁrming their trademark. The modern aesthetic of their buildings is tempered by exposed ipe wood (a tropical hardwood) and stone ﬁnishes on recycled steel. These materials, along with the style which gives a nod to a historic campus bungalow, helped capture the Pitzer Zeitgeist. The lead architect for the eco-residence hall project, John Beck of Carrier Johnson + CULTURE, observes, “The archi-dentity they selected for this new lifestyle is one of sustainability, social responsibility, and optimism for the future, and that message is delivered and reinforced by the residence halls themselves.” PHOTOS: CARRIER JOHNSON + CULTURE This innovative residential project positions the college to become the ﬁrst in the nation to have all Gold LEED-certiﬁed residence halls – the U.S. Green Building Council’s second highest rating, currently pending certiﬁcation – enabling the students to live a life with sustainability at the core and pave the way for others to follow. “The goal is that this project will provide a model for sustainable building on a large scale that is not only affordable but practical and actually beautiful,” notes Skandera Trombley. As with all good branding exercises, the residential project has attracted attention. Fundraising also got a bump, with more than $19 million received to date in cash or pledge commitments, exceeding the annual fund’s $18-million goal. The Pitzer residences’ contemporary design speaks to – and helps support – the many sustainable design techniques, such as solar photovoltaic cells and a rainwater recycling system, that make the building green. For other campuses, such brash modernism would be antithetical to brand: A well-known historic oasis located in downtown Los Angeles, for example, such as Mount St. Mary’s College, requires great contextual sensitivity and a focus on legacy. History and Wi-Fi Merge on the Mount When the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet founded Mount St. Mary’s, a Catholic women’s college, in 1925, their mission was to build students’ leadership skills and foster a spirit to serve others. Mount St. Mary’s is nationally recognized for its long history of innovative programs designed to successfully educate a culturally diverse student body. Carrying on the commitment of the founding Sisters, the school’s current philosophy is borne of these same solid principles of compassion, engagement, and justice. The college is steeped in history, both culturally and physically. Designated as a Hispanic-serving institution, Mount St. Mary’s has an identity that is deeply embedded in the Southern California heritage and the tradition that surrounds it. The Doheny Campus includes numerous historically signiﬁcant homes built around 1900, including the famed Doheny Mansion now used for classes, ofﬁces, and student housing. A Hollywood favorite, the campus is known for its unique beauty and signiﬁcant architecture and has been the ﬁlming location for movies such as Hannon Hall is a 13,000-square-foot hall built in part with a $5 million donation from the Bill Hannon Foundation. 50 Talking Stick

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - May/June 2008

Talking Stick - May/June 2008 Contents Online Now Vision Just In Your ACUHO-I Transitions Res Life Facilities Business Calendar Managing Move-In Madness Strike Up the Brand 44 for the Future There Goes the Neighborhood Academic Communities Conversations First Takes Reporting Out New Members On the Spot

Talking Stick - May/June 2008

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