San Francisco State’s new $81 million, cutting-edge media production and classroom building is designed to ensure that the university and its graduates will remain at the forefront of future technological innovation and leadership.

This innovative 75,000-square-foot facility is crucial to securing SF State’s standing as a premier institution in electronic and media arts education. The Bay Area is recognized as a world leader for media and communications arts as well as a national center for technological advancement and research. The university is ranked one of the most prominent sources of employees for Northern California’s technology industry.

The four-story Liberal and Creative Arts Building, under construction since October, will feature a professional television newsroom, student-run radio station KSFS, an audio recording studio, media presentation room and classrooms — all tailored for competitive students expecting to be career ready for the ever-changing media and entertainment industry.

Students will have access to technology that will enable them to collaborate in new ways, blend interactive media and instantly stream their work worldwide. The university’s Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts (BECA) program has trained hundreds of students each year for thousands of broadcast and media careers nationwide.

“The LCA Building will place the BECA Department at the heart of the campus, thanks to its video and audio communications capability, and will link to the entire campus through the University’s fiber-optic network,” Liberal and Creative Arts Dean Andrew Harris said. “Student-produced programs, interviews and campus activities will be able to be streamed digitally to every computer monitor in any office or classroom.”

The building, designed by award-winning architect Mark Cavagnero, is the first new academic structure to be built in a quarter century, according to university officials.

“The campus is long overdue for a dramatic revitalization, Jason Porth, VP of University Enterprises, said. “Many of the buildings on campus have been here since the University moved to Holloway Avenue (1953) and they’re showing their age.”

The $81 million project was identified as a priority in the university’s 2007 campus master plan for 2020. The California State University system (CSU) allocated $58 million toward the building, with additional funding coming from SF State in combination with private donors, according to Maritza Delgadillo, associate director of major capital projects

When finished, the mostly steel and concrete building, on the western end of Holloway Avenue, will be LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Gold certified, an indication that its construction process and design meet specific sustainability benchmarks.

“The University’s sustainability development plan mandates that all buildings should try to achieve LEED Gold status or higher,” Delgadillo said.

“The building will use a tremendous amount of energy for its functioning, so that was a challenge, but we’re on track to meet our sustainability goals,” she added. “The designers did a great job of designing it to have as low of an impact as possible, with features like natural ventilation.”

The university is simultaneously constructing 560 units of new student housing near the LCA building, also slated for completion in 2020.