Southwestern College Math & Science Building

The Math & Science Building consolidates the teaching programs of Mathematics, Engineering, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Geography into one modern facility. The project is a comprehensive science and engineering teaching facility with a major goal for interdisciplinary and community collaboration. Flexible learning areas are included throughout the project interior and exterior. Four collaboration pods are located on each floor interspersed between offices along the primary corridor. Each has views to the learning landscape, digital screens and marker boards. Flexible instruction areas are provided with moveable partitions and spaces that can open to exterior sheltered areas.

The building is zoned with science department offices and classrooms on the north side of the central water collection court, with science labs, support and faculty offices on the south side of the court. A learning garden, student run garden, and greenhouse are featured in the central court. A telescope viewing platform for 20 students is located on the roof.

The entire site is a demonstration of water collection and reuse. Water is collected from all primary mechanical unit condensate, from all rainwater on the building and project site, and directed to the underground cistern that can provide for over 6 months of site irrigation needs. The court is sized to provide for an 85,000 gallon water cistern retention tank. Daylighting from solatubes, exterior windows and clerestory windows at the science corridor provides for most spaces to be fully daylit during daylight hours. The exterior building material is long lasting oko skin that provides for over 50 years of use with minimal maintenance requiring no painting. Energy performance is 27.7% better than ASHRAE 90.1-2004 energy baseline. The project received LEED Platinum certification. This was done with no increase in project construction cost, through collaborative early design by the entire design and owner team.