USU welcomes new building in Moab
*Editor’s note: This story has been changed to correct previous misinformation about USU’s next refurbishing project.
On April 1, members from the community and Utah State University met for the ribbon-cutting event to welcome the new Moab satellite campus to the USU statewide family.
The facility was built and developed to have net zero emissions — a first for the university.
“It collects enough solar energy to be a completely net zero building, which means it doesn’t take energy and — if anything — it actually produces more energy than what it’s using,” said Clara Alder, the USUSA president-elect. “The building itself looks very flush with the landscape. I was really impressed with how thoughtful it was.”
Other features of the facility also contribute towards its environmental capabilities.
Aside from the rain gutters draining directly into the gardens, rainwater is also collected to be used for other purposes. Inside, the building has low water faucets, a natural paint color and tinted windows to prevent birds from flying into them.
“Why wait until 2050? Let’s start doing that now,” USU Moab’s associate vice president, Lianna Etchberger said in reference to USU’s commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. “An important piece of this building was contributing to that goal, especially since the Moab community is very green.”
Not only did the development of the new campus facility take environmental needs into consideration, but it considered student needs, too.
For its 110 local students and more than 80 degrees, the building provides a computer lab, meeting areas, study rooms and a classroom for up to 40 students.
USU Moab also serves with USU Eastern and USU Blanding as the technical component of the university.
Before the new facility was completed, though, USU Moab didn’t have the facilities to meet that requirement, including welding and construction shops.
“We have these facilities to do more of those hands-on things that require a certain facility now,” Etchberger said.
Etchberger said she is also excited for the change it will grant the Moab community as a whole. According to her, on top of the coronavirus pandemic, the Moab community has also faced a wave of murders, fires and floods.
“It was so great to have something fun and positive to celebrate in the community,” Etchberger said. “There’s lots of fun things here, but it was just a big thing that’s been so long in the making.”
Beyond the hardships Moab has faced, Etchberger hopes this new campus can be a bridge to standard institutions of higher education for local students.
“Going into an institutional building is not that comfortable,” Etchberger said. “This building doesn’t have that institutional feel, so we want to pivot and go to the high schools and get a lot of those even junior high and elementary school kids coming through there and knowing that this is their place.”
Next for the university is refurbishing the satellite building in Monument Valley, which serves as part of USU Eastern extension services in Southeastern Utah.
“They have a very large native population and they’re making a huge difference,” Etchberger said. “But there’s still some fundraising needed. These folks are in what is just an abhorrent structure.”
The new building will be constructed in partnership with the local school in Monument Valley and will provide a food pantry and housing on top of education services.
Officials say the Moab campus serves as a model for future buildings in other Statewide Campuses, including Monument Valley.
“There’s a ton of thought that’s gone into this building to make it something that doesn’t impact the landscape but impacts the community,” Alder said.
For more information about the new USU Moab facility, visit https://statewide.usu.edu/moab/newcampus/.
-Michael.Popa@usu.edu
Photo from: Utah State University