DATE:   May 4, 2005

CONTACTS:  
John Kelly, Clemson VP for Public Service & Agriculture
864-656-3015 jkelly@clemson.edu

Chuck Hulstrand, director of design, Neal Prince + Partners,
Project Manager for the Sandhill Design Team
864-235-0405 chuck@neal-prince.com

Greg Mella, principal, SmithGroup, Washington, DC
202-842-2100 Gregory.Mella@smithgroup.com

Mac Horton, director, Clemson Sandhill Research & Education Center
803-788-5700 ext.33 mhorton@clemson.edu

Ben Boozer, program director, Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development
803-788-5700 ext.32 benb@clemson.edu

Gerald Vander Mey, campus planning director, Clemson University
864-656-5191 vgerald@clemson.edu

WRITER:  Debbie Dalhouse 864-656-6737 ddalhou@clemson.edu

ARCHITECTS UNVEIL DESIGNS FOR
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY'S SANDHILL CENTER
 
COLUMBIA, SC - One of the nation's leading architectural firms for "green construction" has designed new and renovated facilities for Clemson University's Sandhill Research and Education Center. The designs were presented on May 4 at the Sandhill administration building in northeast Columbia . The designs include a conference center and offices to improve facilities that were originally built as an agricultural experiment station in the 1920s.

In 1999, Clemson's Board of Trustees authorized a new mission of economic and community development for Sandhill to meet the changing needs of the state. The Institute for Economic and Community Development was authorized for the center, as well as a focus on natural resource and environmental conservation and sustainability. The Board also endorsed plans to renovate existing buildings and to build a state-of-the-art conference and education center at Sandhill that will serve as a model urban research center.

"In 2004, after a national competition the architectural firm Neal Prince + Partners (NP+P) of Greenville, SC, was selected to lead a collaborative team for the facilities design process.  "Neal Prince + Partners was selected for the Sandhill project because of the high level of experience, creativity, and professional ability their team brings to this initiative," said John W. Kelly, Clemson University vice president for public service and agriculture. "Their sustainable design experience and collaborative approach to the project set them apart from the other teams."

Partnering with NP+P is SmithGroup of Washington, DC, a firm that designed one of the first buildings in the nation to achieve the highest level certification in environmental sustainability, the platinum level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Andropogon Associates of Philadelphia, a national leader in ecological planning, will provide sustainable design for the landscape planning at Sandhill. Seamon Whiteside Associates of Greenville will provide the landscaping and civil engineering.

The LEED system is emerging as the new design standard because it emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

The architects and Sandhill staff developed a master plan for the center with input from more than 150 representatives from state agencies, non-profit organizations, community groups, commercial developers, businesses and local governments. Now, they will see the first design proposal based on that plan.

The conference center at Sandhill will be one of the first buildings in the nation to be used as an educational tool on the process. Plans are to use this project as a demonstration of sustainable development for community leaders, state agencies, economic development teams and commercial developers from across the state, as well as for university students. 

"We expect this design to create an inspiring and meaningful place that will foster the high learning and collaborative research envisioned for the Institute," said Greg Mella, project architect for SmithGroup. "Working in harmony with the unique Sandhill site, the new design will minimize its impact on the environment, serving as a model of environmental stewardship and sustainable development for the communities of South Carolina ."

Funding for this project is scheduled to come from the proceeds of a land-sale at Sandhill in 2001. The sale of 300 acres of former research farmland at Sandhill generated $13.5 million. Clemson's Board of Trustees designated $8.5 million to construct new facilities and endow new programs at the center. In addition, up to $5 million was earmarked to endow community service scholarships for university students. The first Community Scholars will enroll next fall.

The University's goal is for Sandhill to serve as a catalyst for statewide collaborations that address the challenges faced by South Carolina communities. "We want to facilitate connections that help South Carolina 's citizens learn from one another and develop innovative, creative collaborations never before achieved in our state," said John Kelly.

This process was recommended in the S.C. Competitiveness Initiative by Michael Porter of the Monitor Group, a landmark report that provides a blueprint for South Carolina 's future. It states that the new model for economic development should be a "collaborative process involving government at multiple levels, companies, teaching and research institutions, and institutions for collaboration.

Clemson's Institute for Economic and Community Development is serving as just such an "institution for collaboration" by building an impressive network of communities, state agencies, non-profit organizations, faith-based institutions and universities.

"We will facilitate assistance by using an 'engagement' model as opposed to an 'expert' model," said Ben Boozer, program director for the institute. "This means that we will work side by side with communities in helping them to overcome obstacles and realize opportunities. Engagement also means staying with a community for as long as it takes to help achieve its goals."

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