ALBANY - Walls went up quickly for the $10 million energy-efficient science center being constructed on the main campus of Linn-Benton Community College.

"One day, there's no building and the next, there are walls in the air," said LBCC project manager Kevin Nicholson.

After 32 years at the college, Nicholson retired in August as director of facilities. He agreed to manage the project on a part-time basis and is working with Fred Haynes, dean of instructional facilities planning, to oversee 14 other projects funded by the federal stimulus funds.

The building's concrete walls were formed and poured on the ground and then put into place with a huge crane, Nicholson said. The walls were then welded together.

T. Gerding Construction of Corvallis is the general contractor for the project which is being constructed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certification standards. LEED is a voluntary certification program that promotes sustainability by recognizing performance in key areas: sustainable sites; water efficiency; energy and atmosphere; materials and resources; and indoor environmental quality

The building will include a roof garden that will be maintained by the college's horticulture students. There will be an observation deck where people can enjoy the beauty of the green roof, Nicholson said. The garden also will be incorporated into science and biology classes.

"The garden will also help keep the building cooler," Nicholson said.

Rainwater will be captured in an underground cistern, Nicholson said. The water will be used to irrigate landscaping and the garden area, rather than using processed city water.

Solar cells embedded into window glass on the south side of the building will help offset energy usage, Nicholson said.

Nicholson said construction crews are "getting prepared for another pour on the inside of the building where the crane sat. Steel is being gathered on the site and it will be moved into place by the crane. That will happen next week.

"We still haven't worked out all of the details on how to place the crane or how we'll swing materials into place," Nicholson said.

The 26,000-square-foot science center should be ready for classes by January 2010. Construction began in September 2008 on what is being called phase one. According to Nicholson, phase one includes construction of the new building, connecting it to the current Health Occupations building, and making minor renovations to the HO building.

Phase two will include renovation of the existing science and technology labs and classrooms, as well as an internal stairway and lobby. Once renovated, the old science building will be used for labs and classrooms.

"It is exciting to see the walls of the building going up," said LBCC President Rita Cavin. "The new science facility is going to make such a difference for our students. I continue to appreciate the support from our staff, community and many generous donors who have made this project possible."

LBCC's current science and technology building was constructed in the 1970s and had never been renovated, even though teaching and laboratory needs changed dramatically over the years. More than 5,000 students enroll in science classes each year at the college, many of them can't get into classes, because they fill up quickly.

The $10 million project will be paid for with $4 million in private donations. The college will contribute another $2.75 million and $3.73 million will come from state capital construction funding. The project got a big boost in December 2007 when the federal government approved $516,810 to purchase lab equipment for the facility.

Alex Paul can be contacted at alex.paul@lee.net or by calling 758-9526.