Creatively connecting students, places, and spaces was the goal on the grounds surrounding Centralia College’s 70,000 sq.-ft. student union building.

SCJ’s landscape architecture studio designed all exterior hardscape, plazas, sustainable landscape and high-efficiency irrigation. To help the architects and school visualize design options for the courtyards and hardscape design, 3-D models were created by the landscape architecture team. Design elements included creating student gathering spaces around the building and reconfiguring streets into student pedestrian plazas.

A central circular plaza is replacing a former four-way intersection and will include a future water feature or art sculpture. Rain gardens for roof run-off, and extensive use of pervious pavers, are just some of the sustainable design elements.

The $26 million dollar project is named the TransAlta Student Commons and was completed in 2019.