By Jessie Fetterling

SANFORD, Fla. — Construction is underway to build the new energy-efficient, 77,000-square-foot Student Services Center at Seminole State College of Florida’s Sanford/Lake Mary campus.

Work began on the project last summer, and it’s scheduled for completion in January 2018. Gainesville, Fla.-based Charles Perry Partners Inc. is constructing the facility, while West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Song + Associates Inc. is serving as the architect.

The Student Service Center’s will support the college’s vision of having a student-centered campus by serving as a one-stop facility for student services and activities. The building connects both ends of the college in an effort to become the “front door” of the campus, according to the architect’s website, including a central lobby with entrances from east and west to create easy access from both directions. The center was also strategically placed on its site to take full advantage of waterfront views.

The new Student Services Center at the Seminole State College of Florida’s Sanford/Lake Mary campus will serve as a front door to the campus.

The building will be approximately 40 percent more energy-efficiency than a standard building of its size. Its brick and glass structure will feature a barrier-free design that brings natural light into the space. LED lighting will provide a large portion of that energy savings as well by performing roughly 35 percent more energy efficiently than standard lights. The project team will also incorporate low-flow plumbing fixtures, high-efficiency water heaters and electronically commutated motors on all recirculation pumps, according to the Seminole State website.

Designed to incorporate today’s most relevant technologies, the center will offer Wi-Fi connectivity throughout and feature nooks from which students can work. It will include areas such as lounge spaces, a cyber perch, game room, food court, Barnes & Noble bookstore, coffee shop, and meeting and dining areas.

The two-level facility will also feature a main lobby with a reception area and seating on the ground floor as well as an exterior sun terrace overlooking a pond where students can gather. This level will further include the Financial Aid and Scholarships, Career Development Center, Academic Advising and Counseling, Disability Support Services, and Student Accounting and Cashiering Services offices.

The second floor will consist of intake services, including Admissions and Recruitment, Enrollment Services and Registrar offices as well as Assessment and Testing and a Student Life suite, which includes the Office of Student Life, First Generation Freshmen, and the Intramural and Recreational Sports offices.

The $24 million project will receive $12.7 million in State Public Education Capital Outlay funding for 2016-17, while the school will pay the remainder from previous years’ budgets.

Seminole State College of Florida serves 30,000 students across six sites throughout Central Florida. In mid-December, construction, engineering and interior design students toured the construction site to get hands-on experience about the construction process. The college’s School of Engineering, Design and Construction offers more than 50 degrees and certificates, including bachelor’s degrees in construction, engineering technology, information systems technology and interior design.