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Built in 1967, Stevenson Hall was the very first – and largest – academic building constructed on the Sonoma State campus. Named for American politician and diplomat Adlai Stevenson II, and houses the Schools of Education, Social Sciences, and Business and Economics. Over the decades, academic accolades and nostalgia aside, Stevenson Hall quickly earned the infamous reputation for being the big bunker on campus. An honest and earnest soul-searching SSU internal report acknowledged that the uninviting Stevenson Hall had a few problems and was “performing poorly from an energy, lighting, exiting, plumbing, comfort, acoustics and ventilation standpoint.”
Makeover
Obviously, it was time for a makeover. After 10 years of thoughtful and transparent planning, SSU broke ground on the $90 million renovation in November of 2020. The renovation was intentionally designed to be the university’s first LEED Gold sustainability standard building, taking advantage of natural sunlight throughout, using green materials and enhancing energy efficiency.
Critics have taken note: “Now, the building is a technologically and acoustically state-of the-art structure, big on sustainability… and awash in available light that penetrates deep into its 130,000 square feet,” reported the Santa Rosa Press Democrat in December, noting Stevenson Hall’s features of inclusivity such as gender-neutral restrooms and lactation areas.
Divided into three floors, the New Stevenson Hall now houses 22 general purpose instruction classroom and lecture spaces. Seven of the classroom spaces have HyFlex technology designed to maximize quality for both in-person and online learning experiences. Art lovers will enjoy the Mischief Makers exhibition on the first floor which welcomes visitors on their way to interdisciplinary lecture rooms and School of Education specialty classrooms.
Stevenson Hall atrium
Stevenson Hall Mischief Makers exhibit
An Urban Design studio is housed on the second floor, alongside a Physical Geography teaching lab and shared workrooms, kitchenette and printing centers. And on the top third floor where the School of Social Sciences faculty and staff have their brand new offices, there are counseling labs, a publication studio, more printing centers and conference rooms that can accommodate large think tank groups or more conversational one-on-one brainstorms.
A student visiting from out of state to attend the Oxford Consortium For Human Rights co-hosted by SSU at Stevenson Hall said it best, while taking a short break from a workshop.
“Wow, there’s something about this building that really makes it easy to find focus.”