» The Greenest Building is the One Already Built

In 2012, Chapman completed its renovation of the Cypress Street Schoolhouse. The Schoolhouse, originally built in 1928, is the last remaining historical segregated school in Southern California. Today, the Schoolhouse has been turned into a state-of-the-art facility and is equipped to support the nationally recognized Early Human and Lifespan Development Research Program. The Cypress Street Schoolhouse achieved LEED Gold in the fall of 2013. The LEED features of this building include a green cleaning plan, an environmentally friendly pest management plan, light pollution reduction, native landscaping, and controllable building systems. For more information on the Cypress Street Schoolhouse building and the programs housed there, please visit our Happenings Blog. 

In the winter of 2013, Chapman opened a new classroom building, Doti Hall, named after former University President Jim Doti. While the building didn't pursue LEED certification, it has many sustainable features, and likely would have received LEED Gold Certification had certification been pursued. Sustainable design features of this building include:

• Operable windows for natural ventilation that trigger a sensor to turn off air conditioning or heating when they are opened
• The use of natural light to reduce the lighting load (skylights on the 3rd floor transform into windows that transfer light to inner portions of the building, large classroom windows, and light wells that serve the basement classrooms)
• Dual-paned, high-performance glass, reducing thermal transmission of heating and cooling
• Cool roof: a light-colored, single-ply roof that reduces solar heat gain
• Pre- and post-construction commissioning to fine-tune the building's heating, cooling, electrical, and plumbing systems and to ensure they are operating as intended
• Storm water from the site and roof are collected and filtered before leaving the site
• Low-flow faucets and toilets yield a 20% reduction in water consumption
• Extensive use of recycled materials and finishes
• Construction waste recycling
• It was the first building on campus to implement the new Cal Green Building code requirements, achieving performance that far exceeds normal baseline standards

Wilkinson Hall, named after former Trustee, Chairman, and Acting President J.E. Wilkinson, was originally constructed in 1904 on the Orange High School campus. In 1921, it was moved 250 feet from where it sat in the middle of what is now Bert Williams Mall and turned around 90 degrees, coming to rest at its current location. Chapman College, as it was called at the time, acquired the building in 1954. It now houses the Office of Academic Affairs, English and Comparative Literature, Graduate Studies, and the departments of Religion and Philosophy. The building is listed in the National Register of Historical Places.

Memorial Hall, the campus capstone with neo-classic columns, was completed in 1921 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The four pillars are said to have inspired the "four pillars of education": spiritual, mental, physical, and social. Originally one of the main academic buildings on campus, today it houses the offices of the President, the Chancellor, the Executive Vice President, Vice President of Campus Planning Operations, and University Relations. The understated elegance has made it an attractive backdrop for scenes in the movies Crimson Tide, That Thing You Do, and Rocky and Bullwinkle.

Smith Hall, completed in 1913, is home to the Department of Psychology. This building was built as the Science Building for Orange Union High School and was acquired by Chapman in 1954. It was named in honor of former University President G.T. (Buck) Smith, who served as president of the university from 1977 to 1988. Smith Hall was designed by local Santa Ana architect Fredrick Eley.

Reeves Hall was completed in 1913 and originally served as part of Orange High School. It was acquired by Chapman in 1954, along with all the other historic properties, and was named in honor of George Reeves, the University President from 1942 to 1956. Reeves Hall is home to the Kathleen Muth Reading Center, the College of Lifelong Learning, and the School of Education. It was designed by local Santa Ana architect Fredrick Eley and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Formerly known as Founders' Hall, Roosevelt Hall was completed in 1928 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It currently houses Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Acquired by Chapman in 1954, it was originally constructed as the Art & Cafeteria Building for Orange Union High School.