Commission celebrates opening of new facility at UofSC Aiken

New structure is heralded for green building certification

Aiken, SC (02/09/2021) — The Aiken County Commission for Higher Education (ACCHE) celebrated the official opening of the University of South Carolina Aiken's (UofSC Aiken) facilities and auxiliary services building with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, January 27.

The new 14,962 square-foot building is a state-of-the-art facility with particular attention paid to the conceptual design; a balance of spatial areas that incorporate individual offices and team spaces; and a design that considers current demands space, as well as the capacity for growth in the future. The building provides space for essential university services, including operations, maintenance, grounds, environmental and health services, central receiving, purchasing, copy and printing, mail, and warehouse storage. These departments had outgrown their original facilities built on the main campus in 1973.

This new LEED Silver certified building is situated on 5-acres near the university's Convocation Center and the Roberto Hernandez Baseball Stadium on Trolley Line Road in Graniteville.

The plan and site change required the approval of the ACCHE, who assures that any construction of, or renovations to, university facilities aligns with the university's Master Plan.

The design was Todd Sease's work of the firm Jumper, Carter, and Sease Architects in West Columbia, SC. The firm designed the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Medical Park 2, and the Performing Arts Center in Lexington, UofSC Columbia's Player's Lounge and Gameday Lobby, the River Bluff High School Athletics Complex, among many K-12, high schools, and churches within the Columbia area. The contractors were Loveless Commercial Contracting in Cayce, S.C.

The renovation of the old site situated near the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center is underway and will provide a new home for the Aiken Scholars Academy and space for the university departments of Institutional Effectiveness, Research and Compliance, the Counseling Center, and the Disability Services Office. Relocating these offices to the renovated building will free up much-needed space in academic buildings.

"This area is critical to the academic quad and the core of our campus. Additionally, the reconfigured space will provide some wonderful outdoor cafe and gathering spaces. These spaces will be attractive and engaging areas for our students, faculty, staff, and as well for our community members and donor events," said Chancellor Sandra J. Jordan.

"I want to thank the ACCHE for the opportunity to use this space, and to Brian Enter, Cam Reagin, and the team that worked so hard to ensure this new building was finished according to plan," Jordan added.

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