New Science/Library Building Opened Fall 2008

Century College has just completed renovating the entire West Campus parking lot. It is being used as a model by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency due to its state of the art areas of pervious asphalt, underground filtering features, and other features that greatly limit water runoff from the surface.

In Fall 2008, a new Science/Library Building opened, which qualifies for LEED certification at the Silver level.  Certification has, however, not been sought due to the cost to do so.  Century College and the DLR Group, Inc., received an award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota for the design of the mechanical systems in the new building.  Century was the only two-year college to receive one of the 27 awards given out at a ceremony January 30, 2009 at International Market Square in Minneapolis. 

Century’s $19.9 million, 70,000-square-foot Science/Library Building has a soaring interior space that envelopes part of the campus pedestrian bridge. It also features numerous sustainability elements such as a glassed southern elevation that electronically shades and reduces sunlight infiltration. The building exceeds state energy efficiency standards by 30 percent and features highly efficient roof insulation systems, energy recovery systems, mechanical systems, displacement ventilation, science lab exhaust system, occupancy sensor lighting and wetland restoration.

The first new campus building in 17 years, the structure combines the West Campus and East Campus
libraries into one library and brings together the science instructional areas.