The California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation has received a 2024 Design Awards Honor from AIA California. Colin Gordon Associates worked with ZGF Architects providing both acoustics and vibration consulting services.
The Frost Center is the first interdisciplinary building at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo which houses College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science and Mathematics, and the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences. The facility includes labs, large classrooms, teaching space, offices, and lecture hall. With three colleges in one facility, analyses on program requirements were performed by the design team to avoid overlapping, and the classrooms and lecture halls were designed to accommodate multiple layouts. It was also designed for change, such as additional cooling infrastructure, a generator, and modular labs for flexibility. The facility includes vibration-sensitive labs designed to meet VC-A, acoustically critical lecture halls and classrooms, as well as a Dolby certified studio.
The building has achieved LEED Gold® certification. Indoor quality was prioritized with the exterior shading fins which reduced energy usage and provided comfort while allowing plenty of natural light throughout. Wood was sustainably sourced, masonry was sourced locally within California, and low emitting materials were used whenever possible. The outside was designed to benefit humans and non-humans creating outdoor learning environments. This outdoor space also uses drought resistant species of local flora which coupled with a system that captures rainwater in basins surrounding the building site, creates a 50% reduction in outdoor water use. Indoor space consumes 30% less potable water than California standards.