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HKS, Inc.
Honorable Mention Winner 2009 Education Design Showcase
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Facility Use: College/University 2-Year Institution
Project Type: New Construction
Category: Classrooms
Location: Mesquite, TX
District/Inst.: Dallas County Community College District
Lindle Grigsby Dean Workforce and Economic Development
Completion Date: December 2008
Design Capacity: 550 students
Enrollment: 10,400 students
Gross Area: 55,000 sq.ft.
Space per pupil: 100 sq.ft.
Site size: 2 acres
Cost per student: $20,000
Cost per sq.ft.: $200.00
Total project cost: $11,000,000
Building construction cost: $9,680,000
Site development cost: $1,320,000 |
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Eastfield College Learning Center
The Eastfield College Learning Center is the result of a non-traditional vision of how educational spaces can work. The initial project need for a general classroom building at Eastfield College was included as part of a 2004 Dallas County Community College Bond Program. The project program of requirements/space allocation outlined a traditional classroom building consisting of standard 25-student and 45-student classrooms, along with administrative offices to house faculty and staff serving the Social Science and Human Services academic divisions.
Eastfield College’s executive administration and faculty provided leadership to challenge the conventional definition of a classroom. A scope/program validation process was led by the design team to translate the original program of requirements into spaces that support education through a diverse selection of studio learning environments. This collaborative process provided perspective through a series of design charettes to gain insight from a full spectrum of project stakeholders. Participants included administration, faculty, students, curriculum developers, IT/AV staff and facilities personnel. All of the input provided by these groups was filtered through the desire to increase learning outcomes.
Research has established that each human brain is uniquely organized and self-reconfigures during life as new experiences and information are absorbed. The learning process alters the brain as we engage with information, each other and the physical environment. Formal and informal learning requires a diversity of learning environments to provide all students with ideal circumstances to succeed using their unique abilities. It is critical for learners to engage and control the environment, not be controlled by the environment. This establishes a sense of ownership, comfort and safety.
The Learning Center is designed to support these ingrained needs and to reflect the concept that learning can occur everywhere on campus. The facility represents a new initiative to promote knowledge gained through interactive learning environments beyond the traditional classroom. Studio spaces vary in size, are technology-intense and have an informal feel. The pathway circulation system is activated with a variety of informal learning social nooks and niches. Technology access is ubiquitous. This encourages faculty, students, administrators and visitors to cross paths and mingle so they can work and socialize in an environment that supports spontaneous interaction.
In response to stakeholder feedback, the building is located to create a prominent, new gateway to the campus. A monumental stair leads directly to a new bridge component that connects to the existing second level circulation system of the campus. The bridge also includes comfortable seating areas for passersby to sit and talk – furthering communication opportunities. The two-story entry atrium includes a welcoming coffee kiosk/internet café to further promote the important social aspect of learning. A variety of comfortable seating opportunities ring the atrium including booths and small meeting areas contained by semi-private wood slat partitions. Adjacent conferencing facilities can be used after hours for both school and community activities.
The building is a reinterpretation of iconic campus forms. Brick veneer and plaster are the primary materials used for the exterior of the building, to provide consistency with the existing campus context. The simple building envelope conceals the variety of interior spaces that are almost retail in nature – visually stimulating, high energy, colorful and bright.
Responding to orientation, sunscreens shade all west-facing openings from the intense Texas sun. Courtyards are developed on the shaded east side to expand and enhance the courtyard system – a defining element of the Eastfield campus.
Whether a user is in a learning studio or moving through the pathway system, the sights and sounds of the Eastfield community define the character of this building. As noted by the campus president, the Learning Center has “changed the lexicon” of how Eastfield College provides learning experiences.
Project Description: 1) Control of Institution: Public
2) Type of Institution: Other (Community College)
6) Community: Designed for Community Functions (Community College) |
Locale: Methodology & Standards: | District/Institution Decision; First-Cost |
Funding Method(s): | Primary Source: Primary Source: Revenue Bonds |
Project Delivery Method(s): Sustainable/Green Design: Principles Followed: LEED
Site Selection and Development: Building Orientation; Site Selection
Energy Efficiency and Conservation: Building Automation/Energy Management Systems; Energy Efficiency
Indoor Environmental Quality: Indoor Air Quality; Electric Lighting Systems/Controls; Use of Daylighting |
Architect(s): Associated Firms and Consultants: Landscape Architecture: Caye Cook & Associates (Caye Cook)
Construction/Project Management: Rogers-O’Brien Construction Company (Jimmy Winkler)
General Contractor: Rogers-O’Brien Construction Company (Jimmy Winkler )
Structural Engineer: L.A. Fuess Partners, Inc. (Scott Wilson)
Mechanical Engineer: PwrSolutions, Inc. (John Wells)
Civil Engineer: Pacheco Koch Consulting Engineers (Joshua Jesek)
Technology Consultant: Datacom Design Group (John Lewis)
Other: Learning Environments Specialist - ARX Design (Terry Hajduk); Program Manager/Owner Rep - Austin Commercial/Con-Real Inc. (Susan Hansen) |
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