PCC Center of Excellence in Health Professions
Completed Design as Higher Education Leader | Design Architect DLR Group
2023 Pima Community College West Campus, Tucson
Located on the historic West Campus of Pima Community College, this 78,000 square foot remodel and addition will bring new life to the west campus and its post-modern brutalist architecture. This project will also consolidate many nursing programs into one location at the Center of Excellence.
Designed to provide a strong identity for the Health Professions program, the design contrasts the large, heavy and closed in pre-existing architecture with a new lighter, open entry addition. This entry will create a community outreach opportunity by providing a large outdoor pre-event space, large meeting room and a lobby with interactive screens showcasing the program. The renovated building will have new surgical labs, nursing simulation labs, home health labs, and various flexible classrooms that can also be used as nursing labs. New vertical towers will provide elevators and restroom cores for better accessibility and functionality for each floor..
Materials have been selected to tie to both the original architecture and previous additions. The concrete, metal panel, masonry and glass have been composed to respect the past while presenting a new lighter open architecture. The form uses thin roof forms which overhang to protect walls of glass with deep shade. Wind chains surround the perimeter of the rain gutter to interact with the wind and sun with movement and shadow play. A perimeter rain gutter directs the water to collection streams which feed the native vegetation.
Materials
Metal Panel
Used on other additions on campus, design goal was to bring this color material in to follow the language of additions, yet to use a new pattern to represent a new identity to the program
MATERIAL SYMBOLISM
Materials were selected based on what was found on campus to represent the historical importance of the site in terms of the base foundation and the new additions.
Integral Color Concrete
This tan color, lightly sand blasted site cast concrete is meant to root this project into the heart of the campus.
Wind chains from gutter to grade interact with the sun and wind to cast shadows of movement against the concrete walls.
Interior spaces were designed with a concept of heavy to light from the ground floor to the 3rd floor to mimic the color gradation of the surrounding peak. The accent colors lighten as one climbs through the floors.
