California State University, Northridge (CSUN) Maple Hall
Northridge, California
Merit Award
Sent by: Gilbane Building Co.
Owner: California State University, Northridge
Main design company: executioner
General contractor: Gilbane Building Co.
Civil Engineer: KPFF
Structural Engineer: John A. Martin & Associates Inc.
MEP Engineer: P2S Engineering Inc.
Serving as the gateway to campus, the 62,000-square-foot, $46.8 million Maple Hall is designed around a three-story atrium. This is CSUN’s first new academic building since 2009 and includes a 3,050-square-foot auditorium, two classrooms, four seminar rooms, and several classrooms.
The design uses natural light, maximizes flexibility and encourages collaboration between students and teachers. Maple Hall’s classrooms are the most adaptable on campus and include furniture that can be set up for conferences or work sessions.
The availability of material was one of the biggest challenges of this project. For example, the cone roof insulation specified in the design was exhausted and threatened to delay all interior finishes. The contractor decided to use Cell-Crete instead, which allowed the team to install the decking materials on time.
Early in construction, crews found caissons from a previous building and an oil-filled pipe underground. They resequenced construction activities to maintain the schedule while the caissons were being removed. The project team then took a proactive approach to investigating the oil-filled pipe to ensure it was not dangerous, bringing in experts to do due diligence before safely removing the pipe.
Although the project was completed on the original schedule, the completion date was approved by the owner and achieved the goal of hosting classes in the spring of 2024.
Maple Hall experienced delays justified by unforeseen conditions and unprecedented weather, but the team mitigated all potential supply chain delays.
