Swenson Center Groundbreaking Ceremony

The Swenson Center for Academic Excellence, CLU's new social and behavioral science building, will house classrooms and faculty offices. The new offices will replace the Pederson ranch chicken coops that were converted into offices and classrooms when the first classes started in 1961 and are still used by faculty and staff members.

The center will be CLU’s first LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building. The lobby will be cooled using natural ventilation and other features rather than air-conditioning. It was designed to take advantage of natural airflow. Dampers will automatically open in the morning to bring in cool air and close when sensors detect the outside air is too warm. The rooflines, walls and windows were designed so that natural light will provide most of the illumination in corridors and offices.   

Donations are covering the cost of the $8.5 million building and a $2 million program endowment. The donors are Jim and Sue Swenson of Dana Point, Marv and Fran Soiland of Santa Rosa, the Ullman Family Foundation, Karen and Allan Spies of Denver, Kirsten and Karsten Lundring of Thousand Oaks, Jack and Carol Gilbert of Oxnard and the estate of Eleanor and Paul Culver of Lake Sherwood.

The Swenson Center is slated for completion by August 2010 as part of the University’s 50th anniversary celebration. The groundbreaking, which is open to the public, will be held near the corner of Faculty and Pioneer streets on the Thousand Oaks campus.