Aspiration & Achievement
A bright, open building leveraging a dynamic natural setting for hands-on learning and interaction with the surrounding community
PROJECT DETAILS
| The Health Careers Center consolidates health careers-related programs from throughout the COCC campus into one signature facility, providing up-to-date classrooms and labs. It brings previously dispersed nursing, medical assistant, dental assistant, pharmacy technician, and licensed massage therapy programs under one roof.
The program was intentionally broken apart, grouped to take advantage of the steeply sloping site and to serve as an accessible bridge linking the upper and lower campus and connecting the College to the surrounding community. Leveraging the natural hillside topography provides on-grade ADA accessible entries on both its first and second floors. Beyond providing educational and office space, the Center also offers recurring dental and massage therapy clinics to the larger community. Embracing this dual role, the building layout is designed to be welcoming and intuitive to both students and visitors. A large, two-story center lobby at the center of the facility overlooks the many ponderosa pines preserved on site. This active and flexible space serves both as the heart of the building and as a reception/waiting area during clinic days. Natural materials offer a common thread unifying the building’s appearance with its natural context. Wood is showcased both inside and outside the building, with an overall material palette drawn from and harmonizing with both the built campus and natural context. Notably, it is the first prominent use of masonry on the campus, providing a rich blend of wood, masonry, and concrete for a rich interplay of colors and textures. The high thermal mass of brick also improves building efficiency. The building was a pilot project for Earth Advantage’s Commercial sustainability program, earning EA Gold certification for its exceptional energy efficiency. It was completed $1.5 million under budget. |
