Location: 
Moscow, Idaho
Total Square Feet: 88,900
Construction Period: July 1998 to Mar 2000

Construction Team
General Contractor: Hoffman Construction Co. - 805 SW Broadway, #2100, Portland, OR 97205
Structural Engineer: KPFF Consulting Engineers - 111 SW Fifth Ave., #2500, Portland, OR 97204
Electrical & Mechanical Engineer: Glumac International - 320 SW Washington, #200, Portland, OR 97204
Landscape Architect: Walker•Macy - 111 SW Oak, #200, Portland, OR 97204
Cost Estimator: Roen & Associates - West 1526 1/2 Riverside, Spokane, WA 99210

As universities around the country adapt to the changing needs and desires of students, so must their facilities. The University of Idaho has stepped up to the plate to develop a student commons that meets the demands of an increasingly diverse student body.

The Idaho Commons at the University of Idaho in Moscow offers a new model for student unions. Dubbed "The Recombinant Student Union", this 145,000-square-foot building brings many pieces of the campus together in one space. The Idaho Commons takes the lounge from dormitories, the study space from the library, the food from the cafeteria, etc., and combines them into one facility that almost everyone on campus must use during the course of the day.

The Idaho Commons also incorporates sustainable design features, making it an efficient building. These include day-lighted classrooms with moveable walls and clerestories, providing extra light in spaces that are normally walls.

The ultimate goal of this exceptional building is to create an active facility that brings the many facets of the University together. Students, faculty and staff who might otherwise never cross paths now interact as they use the resources and services provided by the Commons.

The Association of International Architects awarded Yost Grube Hall, designers of the Idaho Commons, a Merit Award in the Unbuilt Category for their design of the Idaho Commons. In addition, the Idaho Commons earned accolades when presented at the Association of College Unions International and the Society of College Union Planners.

Manufacturers/Suppliers
Exterior Walls - Sheathing: United States Gypsum; Insulation: Owens Corning; Windows: United States Aluminum.
Roof - Metal: Krieger Steel Products; Modified Bitumen: Siplast SBS.
Floors - Carpet: Shaw; Linoleum: Forbo Linoleum; Wood: Hartco; Tile: Dal-Tile.
Interior Walls - Gypsum Board: United States Gypsum.