The Student Services Building (SSB), the new architectural jewel of Cal Poly Pomona, has earned a 2019 Best Projects Award of Merit in the Higher Education/Research category from Engineering News-Record.

The award is conferred annually to one exceptional project in California or Hawaii. The overall project, which includes architectural and engineering aspects, is scrutinized during the selection process. Engineering News-Record recognizes one project in specific regions of the country.

In addition to the prominent award, the SSB will be featured in the Oct. 7 issue of ENR California magazine, a leading construction industry publication.

“An ENR Best Projects Award is considered one of commercial construction’s most prestigious and coveted honors,” said Jason Fifield of Engineering News-Record.

The contractor for the SSB, C.W. Driver, submitted the project to the competition.

Members of the Cal Poly Pomona Facilities, Design & Construction department also will attend the 2019 Best Projects Award presentation on Oct. 10 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. More than 250 owners, architects, contractors and engineers from California and Hawaii are expected to attend the ceremony.

The Best Project Awards are selected by juries of prominent industry professionals. The 20 categories include higher education/research, safety, buildings, infrastructure and green projects.

The award to the SSB includes a wall plaque for mounting in the building.

The 140,000-square-foot SSB consolidates services that were previously delivered on various floors of the now-shuttered CLA Building. Students receive essential services in an efficient and streamlined manner.

The SSB is the administrative headquarters that also gives Cal Poly Pomona a true front door to the university. One distinctive feature of the SBB is the low-slung, undulating roofline, which was designed to mimic the hills that surround the campus.

The newly opened facility also contains features that were built to LEED Platinum specifications. Among the features are water-use reduction mechanisms, use of regional building contents, renewable-energy measures, energy-efficient devices and light-pollution reduction measures.