Contact: Jenna Bartlo, Media Relations Coordinator, Biola University, 562-777-4061, jenna.l.bartlo@biola.edu
LA MIRADA, Calif., Oct. 14, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Today, Biola University opens the doors to its most innovative building yet -- the new Talbot School of Theology East building. Complete with a rooftop garden, solar-powered classrooms and a sunken outdoor plaza, the state-of-the-art, LEED-certified building sits as one of the largest on campus. On Friday, Oct. 14, Biola dedicated the building with an official ceremony followed by tours of the new facility.
During the dedication, Biola president Barry H. Corey announced that the $18.2 million building has been fully funded with much of that amount coming in the past 18 months.
"This is a tremendous milestone in the history of Biola University, especially in the midst of the economic uncertainty our nation has experienced over the last four years," said Corey.
With 30,617 square feet of space, 34 offices, eight classrooms, two conference rooms, a prayer chapel, and one large multipurpose room, the new four-story building will be home to Biola's Talbot School of Theology (www.talbot.edu) and create classroom and conference room space for other departments on campus.
Harnessing the Southern California sun, photovoltaic panels on a major stair panel will generate electricity to help power the building. A rooftop garden on the north side of the building will also help cool the buildings and collect rainwater for irrigation -- and provide a place for the students to relax.
Areas such as a prayer chapel that incorporates stone and wood from Biola's 125-year-old olive trees and a sunken outdoor plaza with a cascading waterfall and still pool will add areas for student reflection as well as a retreat from busy college life. The chapel itself was built in a way to look neither like a medieval chapel, nor like a Baptist mountain camp chapel, but is more trans-cultural and trans-millenial. In addition, the pathway leading to the plaza level is lined with Jerusalem stone from a quarry outside the ancient city of Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac are buried.
Inside the building, ceramic fritting on windows will reflect "Scripture Shadows" on the floor and walls when lights hits at the right angle.
Beyond its distinctive features, the building will help accommodate Talbot's nine graduate degree programs, and the growing student body at Talbot and Biola. Recently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as an "up and coming" national university, Biola reached its largest enrollment to date this fall, with 6,250 students across its undergraduate and graduate programs.
With more than 1,200 current students, Talbot will continue to provide evangelical scholarship with intentional character development to prepare students for a lifetime of relevant, effective ministry.
"The reach this building will have will undoubtedly extend throughout the world," said Corey.
Construction for "Talbot West" and a renovation of Biola's existing Feinberg Hall will follow in the $32 million second phase.
Highlights of the new Talbot East building:
- A prayer room featuring stone and wood from Biola's 125-year-old olive trees
- Solar panels that will generate electricity to help power the building
- A rooftop garden that doubles as a place to hang out for the students and will help cool the building
- Ceramic fritted windows that will reflect Scripture onto floors and walls inside the building
- Sunken outdoor plaza with cascading waterfall and still pool that will be an ideal area to study, pray or converse with friends
- 30,617 square feet
- 34 offices
- 8 classrooms
- 2 conference rooms
- Homiletics lab to teach the art of preaching
Learn more about Biola University at www.biola.edu.
