Founders Hall is an existing classroom on the BCCC campus. It houses the College’s STEM programming, Health Sciences department, general-purpose classrooms, and faculty offices. Designed in 1968, Founders’ characteristics were typical of the era: heavy masonry and load-bearing systems.
The client’s primary concerns were the lack of natural light, long, dark corridors, and confusing wayfinding and programming. The design team carefully subtracted interior elements to open up the building and the spaces within. One of the features of this project is the soaring, three-story atrium, which brings in an abundance of natural light, communicates the building’s purpose as a learning space, and promotes student and faculty interaction.
To enhance collaboration, the team introduced a variety of space types for individual and group work. These spaces allow classroom work to spill out into the corridors and gathering areas and support the many ways students learn and collaborate. The corridors are further activated by the incorporation of wooden shrouds that visually break up the long corridors, aid in wayfinding, and act as thresholds into each classroom space.
Founders Hall’s newly renovated classroom spaces now closely align with the College’s evolving pedagogy, also incorporating a maker space, science laboratories, a STEM learning center, a culinary lab, health science simulation labs, and clinical skills rooms.
AIA documents used:
A101®-Owner/Contractor Agreement,
B103-Owner/Architect Agreement for a Complex Project,
C401-Architect/Consultant Agreement,
E201-Digital Data Protocol Exhibit
