San Jacinto College Science Building, Central Campus

IBI Group worked collaboratively with a design committee to set goals and develop a program of spaces for the conceptual development. The design committee was made up of end users and administrators representing the science program at the central campus.

The new science building includes a public entry and gathering areas with a generous front lobby and a large allocation of space for common areas throughout the facility. Science instruction and support labs account for over 50 per cent of the entire facility. These spaces include:

• tiered lecture classrooms;
• recycling areas;
• custom instructional labs; and
• support/prep areas for biology, chemistry, geology and physics.

As one of the many IBI projects with San Jacinto College, all of the interiors were designed using sustainable materials. Staff areas include a science department office suite, faculty offices and a lab supervisor office. Offices are designed to increase flexibility by using demountable wall partitions.

As the 2014 Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) award-winning project for the Southern Region, the science building has already begun to establish its own reputation within the higher education realm.