Located at the prominent intersection at the entrance to campus, the HVCC Welcome Center would serve as an icon for the campus. The design incorporates an information wing, a tour guide hub, a cafe and restrooms, a sheltered location to catch the bus, and a bridge to cross Vandenburgh Avenue to access the shopping and dining options in the opposite mall. The site design also creates parking to be shared with the adjacent new science center. The building’s form is derived from the many forms of circulation that currently swirl around the site. The materials used reference other buildings on campus so that a prospective student will feel that all of the campus is familiar after beginning their tour in the Welcome Center. The double arches of the bridge act not only as structure for the partially suspended walkway, but function as a clearly visible beacon for the campus which is currently removed from the road. The different levels and balconies of the building allow for a centrally located public safety office to monitor all of the building with minimal reliance on CCTV. The layout also allows for most of the functions of the building to close at night while leaving a safe area to wait for the buses available to students taking night classes. The overhanging roof and mid level light shelf improve the solar responsiveness of the space by allowing the lower, winter sun to warm the space, while shading from the powerful, summer sun from high above. This, along with the thermal retention of the stone walls, works together to make a building with as little environmental impact as possible for its location and purpose.
Professor: Christopher Dennis, Jill Palmer-Wood
Software: Revit, AutoCAD, Photoshop
Design work
Imagery of project.
