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Higher Education | Research | Laboratory Projects:
sn-w’ey’-mn Building, Spokane Falls Community College, Spokane, Washington: LEED Gold Certification; Replacing three 1967 buildings on the Spokane Falls Community College campus, this new 70,000-square-foot, three-story structure features two wings - each housing a separate department - connected by a three-story atrium lobby space. Destined to become a landmark building, this business and social science building is designed as a contemporary interpretation of the existing campus architecture that celebrates progressive teaching and modern technology while fitting into the context of the campus. To promote the inclusion of features that minimize environmental impact and maximize energy efficiency, the facility is LEED Gold certified by the USGBC. With the input of project stakeholders, sustainable concepts - including daylighting, energy efficiency, site conservation and natural ventilation - have been carefully explored and thoughtfully integrated into the design; sn-w’ey’-mn is a Native American word in the Salish language that means a trading place for knowledge, materials, trades and commercial goods. The major artwork of the building is focused on the theme of commerce, tying together the two departments that will be housed in the building: Social Sciences and Business. Commerce was a mainstay of the regional tribes who traded extensively among themselves and with the coastal tribes. This naming recognizes the importance of commerce as it existed for thousands of years among regional tribes.
Academic Center, Washington State University, Spokane, Washington: The 106,000-square-foot Academic Center, which is the centerpiece of the campus, houses student services, other student activities, the library, administrative offices, conference facilities, program incubator spaces, tiered lecture facilities, distance learning classrooms, computer labs and numerous academic departments. Beyond providing replacement space for programs previously occupying leased or temporary space, the Academic Center provides area for new programs, expansion of programs offered at the Riverpoint Campus, and space for programs relocated from WSU in Pullman. Convenience, collaboration, cooperation, and resource-sharing opportunities are fostered by the appropriate consolidation of functions within the Academic Center. As part of the predesign service, the entire campus master plan was also updated. The Academic Center is one of the first buildings designed to address the governor's focus on sustainability by state facilities. Led by NAC|Architecture, the Academic Center team included associated architect THA Architecture.
Academic Instructional Center, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington: 2009 Civic Design Honor Award, American Institute of Architects (AIA) Washington Council; Designed to accommodate the consolidation and growth of the Communications Sciences and Disorders (CSD) and Psychology Departments, and also provide sorely needed general classrooms, the new Academic Instructional Center (AIC) is a 126,000-square-foot building with 725 classroom seats. The AIC will create appropriate spaces and convenient locations for public clinics run by the CSD and Psychology Departments and visited by on- and off-campus users. The AIC's location just south of the Communications Facility defines the southeast edge of the new South Quad and becomes a gateway building for the WWU campus. Designed in two sections, the building creates a central covered passageway that will allow students to walk between portions of the building as they enter the campus. The three-story western portion is low in scale to relate to the new diagonal walkway created for the campus, while the mass of the eastern building's five stories is diminished by its position and location. The two sections of the building are connected by a bridge that will also provide informal study areas for students. A collaborative center in the eastern portion features multiple computer ports and allows for Wi-Fi access as students lounge and study. Led by NAC|Architecture, the Academic Instructional Center team includes design architect opsis architecture.
Science and Mathematics Building, Spokane Community College, Spokane, Washington: Spokane Community College's new Science and Mathematics Building acts as a new campus entrance, introducing a contemporary building aesthetic designed in concert with the campus master plan being developed by SCC under NAC|Architecture's leadership. The 65,268-square-foot building - created via NAC|Architecture's collaborative design process - was conceived as three distinct elements: an office tower; a classroom/lab block; and a three-story, light-filled atrium lobby. Constructed at a cost of $10.8 million, the building houses SCC's Science and Mathematics departments. As a result of the project coming in nearly $1 million under budget, the college was able to re-build a soccer field adjacent to the building, replacing the field displaced by the new structure. The building is organized vertically by departments with nine math classrooms, math offices, and a computer lab on the first floor; the life sciences and associated faculty offices on the second floor; and the physical sciences with their requisite classrooms on the third floor. The science space will feature 13 laboratories, including a 1,600-square-foot biotechnology lab. Sustainable design principles were applied to the project, balancing first-cost budget realities, life-cycle cost analysis, and environmentally conscious design. Daylighting, energy efficiency, site conservation and natural ventilation were among the sustainable concepts integrated in the design.
Edward R. Murrow School of Communication, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington: Envisioned as a new landmark building for the nationally recognized School of Communication, the 26,000-square-foot expansion of the school establishes a strong connection to the historic campus context through generous use of rich, traditional brick patterning and deeply inset windows. At the same time, the building expresses its technological orientation through careful articulation of contemporary glass and aluminum panels on the west facade, creating a visual transparency that accents the warmth of the maple-paneled interior student gathering spaces. The facility offers spacious, inviting lobbies; a host of offices and support spaces; computer labs; television editing and broadcast facilities; conference rooms; and a suite of research lab spaces. Sophisticated equipment in the interview labs, focus lab, and psycho-physiological lab supports research on human psychological and physiological responses to various communication media. To efficiently accommodate future technological upgrades, an extensive horizontal cable distribution system was incorporated into the construction, allowing flexible permutations of the floor plan arrangement. Led by NAC|Architecture, the School of Communication Addition team included associated architect opsis architecture.
Student Recreation Center, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho; 2002 Award of Merit, American Institute of Architects (AIA)/Spokane; 2002 Citation Award, AIA/Idaho; NAC|Architecture envisioned the University of Idaho's Student Recreation Center as a recreational village whose rugged, angular exterior mirrors the region's landscape. The 84,000-square-foot facility houses a central two-story atrium/lounge; cafe; two multi-court basketball/volleyball gymnasiums; a multipurpose activity court (MAC); a suspended indoor jogging track; multipurpose/aerobics rooms; and a climbing area with a 55-foot free-form pinnacle, and bouldering and top-rope climbing walls. Other amenities include cardiovascular fitness and weight-training areas, health and fitness testing labs, locker rooms, program offices, administrative offices and storage. In addition to accommodating indoor activities, the center is also home to a nationally recognized outdoor recreation program. All key activity areas are visible from the main entryway, allowing staff to conveniently observe these spaces. The building's innovative design and pivotal location – in the heart of an area slated to become the campus's residential center – underscore the university's focus on healthy living, and enhance student and faculty recruitment and retention. Interior design elements – such as an exposed branch-like wood roof structure, a gallery of clerestory windows, and a concrete floor stamped and colored to emulate a forest floor – extend the area's natural environment indoors and validate the university's commitment to sustainability.
Advanced Technology & Education Park, South Orange County Community College District, Tustin, California; The Advanced Technology and Education Park was conceived as an educational oasis. Its street-side elevations speak to the future while the courtyard, with its arcades, fountain, muted walls and sensitive landscape, brings a nearness and sense of balance to the campus. The courtyard was designed so that students can have a variety of spaces in which to relax. Many container plantings with adjacent benches encourage individual students to rest or read and small groups of students to gather. A vibrant yellow arcade shades the outdoor patio next to the café, which will draw together larger groups of students.
Duvall Hall, Whitworth University, Spokane, Washington: The four-story Duvall Hall has 160 beds arranged in varying-sized suites ranging from three to five bedrooms each. Suites on each floor are clustered around a common lounge, which serves as the living room and gathering spot for that floor. The first floor also houses a common laundry room and a game room. Completed in August 2006, this is the newest dormitory on the Whitworth University campus. Exterior design features include brick cladding and piers, bay windows, steeply pitched gable roofs, and an entry bridge from the uphill side of the building. The total building area is 45,000 square feet, plus a 2,500-square-foot basement.
Animal Disease Biotechnology Facility, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington: 2001 Robert Fraser Excellence in Masonry Design Award, Masonry Industry Promotion Group; 2000 Award of Merit, AIA/Spokane; 1994 First Place, Rendered Image, AUTODESK; This research facility was constructed to investigate disease mechanisms at the cellular and molecular levels by the College of Veterinary Medicine and USDA scientists. The 86,000-square-foot facility is closely integrated with the existing Bustad Hall research facility and veterinary teaching hospital completed in 1996. The facility includes over 50 labs and supporting spaces, including a vivarium with 20 animal rooms, a technology transfer unit, environmentally controlled rooms, chemical and radiation waste handling spaces, and over 80 offices and supporting administrative spaces.
East Residence Hall, Whitworth University, Spokane, Washington: Employing a somewhat more traditional living arrangement utilizing individual bedrooms with building-wide shared common spaces, the East Residence Hall is laid out with two main residential wings that intersect at a “hinge point.” With a capacity of approximately 170 students in just over 45,000 square feet, the new residence hall features a mixture of single, double and triple bedrooms; large game room and laundry facilities; an individual music practice room; two large student lounges, each with its own kitchen and fireplace; three additional smaller lounges, including a separate movie viewing lounge; and five separate outdoor decks – four of which are accessible only from inside the building. The residence hall also houses a full two-bedroom apartment for the resident director. The building’s design is intended to convey a residential feel utilizing steeply pitched roof forms and wood windows. The building was built into a gently sloping site, which allowed the use of a daylight basement along the north side. Exterior materials were chosen for their long-term durability as well as their compatibility with the campus context. Locally manufactured brick, ground-face CMU and integrally colored concrete combine to offer many years of low-maintenance life while expressing the building’s and the university’s commitment to sustainable building practices. Exposed wood beams were used sparingly to highlight certain focal points of the building and to contribute to its fit into the heavily wooded campus. The building’s design is intended to convey a residential feel utilizing steeply pitched roof forms and wood windows. The building was built into a gently sloping site, which allowed the use of a daylight basement along the north side. Exterior materials were chosen for their long-term durability as well as their compatibility with the campus context. Locally manufactured brick, ground-face CMU and integrally colored concrete combine to offer many years of low-maintenance life while expressing the building’s and the university’s commitment to sustainable building practices. Exposed wood beams were used sparingly to highlight certain focal points of the building and to contribute to its fit into the heavily wooded campus.
Sirti Technology Center, Spokane, Washington: This 39,000-square-foot building for the Sirti Foundation provides much-needed space for emerging research and technology companies. A combination lab-office-manufacturing facility, the two-story center is located in Spokane’s burgeoning University District just east of the city’s central business district. The center houses 12,000 square feet of wet labs, 10,000 square feet of office space, and 8,000 square feet of flex space that can accommodate a range of functions. Designed to meet the sophisticated requirements of organizations dedicated to clinical research and commercial development/applications, the facility features two state-of-the-art conference rooms, a shared reception area, a common IT system, and an advanced telecommunications backbone. A number of sustainable concepts – including daylighting, energy efficiency/monitoring and natural ventilation – were integrated into the design.
InCyte Pathology Laboratory, Spokane, Washington: This 26,000-square-foot pathology laboratory building is located on a new, undeveloped site in the Spokane Valley. InCyte Pathology performs pathology testing/evaluation for most of the area’s hospitals and special testing on specimens for other area laboratories. The new building includes a reception/waiting area, two conference rooms able to be combined via an operable wall, billing/business offices, pathologist offices, cytology (fluids) laboratory, histology (tissue) laboratory, grossing room, and storage and support areas.
Cheney Cowles Library, Whitworth University, Spokane, Washington: The second addition and complete remodeling of this centerpiece building includes 25,000 square feet of new space added to the existing 27,800 square feet for a total of 52,800 square feet. This building houses a traditional academic library, research facilities, archives, archival reading room, education curriculum library, audio-visual department, academic computing with two micro-labs, word processing, and administrative computing for the campus.
HollisterStier Laboratory, Spokane, Washington: This office/lab building addition consists of approximately 14,400 square feet on the first floor and 10,600 square feet on the second floor, for a total area of approximately 25,000 square feet. The first floor houses a 5,900-square-foot chemistry lab in the southern portion of the building. The remainder of the building provides a combination of offices, open office space, conference rooms, and support spaces. An open entry lobby and reception area serve as the new “front door” for the facility. A fast-track construction process was used to expedite building completion.
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