Central Washington University North Academic Commons and GeoEco Plant
Ellensburg, Washington
At the heart of Central Washington University's Ellensburg Campus, the new North Academic Commons will serve as a central hub for student life, providing flexible, student-centered spaces that foster connection, collaboration, and inclusion. The Commons will unite historically fragmented departments and support interdisciplinary learning with adaptable classrooms, and integrated informal study and social spaces. The four-story central atrium showcases exposed mass timber construction, locally sourced from Yakama Nation Forest Products, bringing warmth, human scale, and a strong sense of place.
The North Academic Commons is supported by a new GeoEco Plant, a geothermal heat exchange system that uses the stable temperatures of the Ellensburg Aquifer to heat and cool adjacent buildings. The GeoEco Plant is explicitly designed for transparency—large glass windows and interactive signage create an experiential learning opportunity for students and visitors to watch the system in action. Together, the North Academic Commons and the GeoEco Plant are targeting LEED Gold and Living Future certifications, and will serve as a model for decarbonization and green campus development.
NAC Architecture in partnership with Opsis Architecture.
Related Projects
Blakeley Village
University of Washington
Capital Development and Strategic Vision Plan
Western Washington University
