SUU Opens New Academic Classroom Building
Published: April 27, 2023 | Author: Kenzie Lundberg | Read Time: 3 minutes
Southern Utah University opened the newest academic building on campus, Bristlecone Hall, on Thursday, April 27, 2023. The 90,000-square-foot building adds 17 classrooms, seven labs, seven teaching and art studios, and 80 offices and workspaces to the University’s facilities.
“Thank you to our Utah legislators for investing in SUU and for investing in our students. This would not be possible without their support and help in shepherding it through the process,” said SUU President Mindy Benson. “We often talk about “the power of place” on our campus – the power of this place is its people - the faculty, staff, and students - and is enhanced when we have a space like this to open up new possibilities for collaboration and learning. These spaces will provide opportunities for hands-on learning to expand their creative expression, more deeply explore their fields of study, and broaden their perspectives.”
Spearheaded by a southern Utah legislative delegation, Senator Evan Vickers, Senator Don Ipson, and Representative Rex Shipp, the building was approved and funded by the Utah Legislature in March 2021. The groundbreaking took place on June 25 of that same year. Even with supply chain issues and current inflation costs, the project came in under budget thanks to the project management skills of Tiger Funk, assistant vice president for facilities management, and Ben Johnson, senior managing director of construction services.
Along with adding classrooms, labs and office spaces, Bristlecone Hall will house the Dean’s Office for the College of Performing and Visual Arts, as well as the departments of Filmmaking; Art and Design; History, Sociology and Anthropology; and Mathematics.
”The addition of Bristlecone Hall to SUU’s campus will long serve our students as they pursue their educational dreams in Cedar City,” said Marvin Dodge, vice president for finance and administrative service at SUU.”The attractive design and architecture provide a warm and inviting environment for multiple academic departments and specialized learning spaces.”
Named after the bristlecone pine, and a longtime symbol of SUU, the building name represents what the University hopes students will gain within its walls. The ability to be resilient; to adapt, learn, and grow; and find ways to thrive, even in the midst of changing conditions. Bristlecone pines have a remarkable ability to thrive in favorable and unfavorable conditions, much like SUU’s students, faculty and staff.
The new building preserved much of the Multipurpose Quad, leaving outdoor spaces and green areas. Inside the building, the Persistence of Time art installation also reflects the character of the campus and its surroundings, specifically the stunning and dramatic landscapes.
“My sculptures reflect the sensibility that objects are not fixed and finite, but are the product or residue of ongoing processes,” said sculptor and artist Ben Butler. “They provide evidence of unseen forces, and they point to the distinction between the human and the non-human. Throughout the natural world, unexpected complexity emerges from simple, persistent processes. In the rush to comprehend we often miss the wonderful unseen forces at work.”
Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony included remarks from Vice President Marvin Dodge, Chad Nielson from MHTN Architects, Jeff Palmer from Layton Construction, Utah Senator Evan Vickers, Utah Senator Don Ipson, and SUU President Mindy Benson.
Bristlecone Hall is located just south of the America First Event Center on the corner of 200 South and 800 West.
Tags: Campus College of Engineering and Computational Sciences Utah