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After over three years of planning and construction, the finishing touches are being put on the Pavilion at Laurel Village as staff prepare for its opening later this month.

As the heart of the newly built Laurel Village, the Pavilion will serve as a commons for the on-campus residence, College of Natural Sciences Learning Community and Eco Leader Program.

Once complete, the common building is set to be the first on the Colorado State campus to achieve LEED Platinum rating, the highest sustainability certification given by the U.S. Green Building Council.

In addition to its energy-efficient design, the building is entirely made out of sustainable, renewable or reclaimed materials, according to Tonie Miyamoto, the director of communications and sustainability for CSU Housing and Dining and virtual godmother to the project.

The interior features include classrooms, exhibit areas, study spaces with seating and hammocks, an entertainment nook complete with a pool table, a living wall and much more.

“The building has a small footprint, but all of the spaces are flexible. It provides a setting for education, study, social interaction, entertainment and student resources,” Miyamoto said.

The building will have a 24-hour front desk, a student-run bike repair shop and an Eco Leaders office, ready for students who have questions about sustainable living on and off campus.

While the Pavilion is a fully enclosed structure, it incorporates the Natural Sciences’ connection to the outdoors. This is in part due to the amphitheater, slate projection wall and sod hill that create a flow from campus  to the upper story study lounge.

“It was designed so that, wherever a student was, if they wanted to get outside, they could,” Miyamoto said.

The Pavilion is scheduled to be open in the coming weeks. An open house event is on the books for sometime in early November, but Laurel Village residents will get a sneak peek of their common area before it opens to all students.

Details about the environmental features of the building will be displayed on an interactive touch screen so guests can learn more about sustainable construction. For more information and photos (and a time-lapse video) of the Pavilion’s construction and design, visit its design website.