| 100 Word Description: WCU’s Health and Human Science Building is a 160,000 SF facility providing state–of- the- art learning environments for departments within the College. Nested into the mountainside, without immediate built context or relationship to the existing campus, the design is a direct response to both site and program. The location and form of the building is defined by the site topography and solar orientation. The programmatic goal of inter-departmental collaboration drives the organization of the building in plan and section utilizing the multi-story Collaborative Center. Providing both physical and visual connections, this unifying element promotes interaction and engagement throughout the building. An expansive roof garden extends the space outdoors, reinforcing the building’s connection to the natural environment and to the site. |
| Architect’s Statement: Western Carolina University’s Millennial Initiative is a public/private partnership on a new 344-acre campus created to enhance student educational opportunities, develop cutting-edge research capabilities for faculty, and promote regional economic development. The Millennial campus will include academic buildings, research facilities, businesses and industries, office space and housing. The Health and Human Sciences building is the first facility constructed, setting both aesthetic and planning directions for the Millennial Campus. The building houses five departments of the College of Health and Human Sciences and includes nine disciplines: Nursing, Physical Therapy, Social Work, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Athletic Training, Emergency Medical Care, Nutrition and Dietetics, Environmental Health and Recreational Therapy. The primary influence on the building’s design is the mountainous terrain. Site topography challenged building design while providing opportunities to address program requirements. The 38 acre site was primarily undeveloped and forested, a large percentage of which presented 30% or greater slopes. Mapping slopes less than 30% defined buildable area limits that informed the project location and delineated its northernmost extents. To optimize the solar orientation and minimize the impact of the building, the southern boundary was informed by a natural basin in the site. Stepping back into the topography, the building is nested between these defining elements, conforming to the site. This design strategy promoted interior/exterior relationships, afforded access to grade at numerous levels, and was the genesis for a large roof garden. An extension of the site, the roof garden replicates the form of the natural basin carved into the building footprint, restoring the natural environment. Such site-influenced responses generated smaller floor plates enhancing opportunities for natural daylighting throughout the building and resulted in a contextually appropriate solution with a human scale. Responding to the programmatic goals of the faculty, the Health and Human Sciences Building is a catalyst for inter-departmental collaboration between all departments housed in the building. The juxtaposition of disciplines facilitates an exchange of ideas supporting research and development and a more comprehensive student education. At the heart of these departmental associations which inform the design is the “Collaborative Center”, a multi-story atrium and technology resource center which connects all levels visually and functionally. Additional collaborative spaces include individual and group study, large and small meeting areas, a multi-purpose room, and vending/café amenities. Building technologies further reinforce collaboration by allowing for video capture, display and communication between classes, offices and meeting spaces, enhancing opportunities for the exchange of ideas. The practical application of this inter-departmental collaboration is exemplified in the interdisciplinary clinic. The clinic offers health care services to the Western North Carolina community utilizing faculty expertise combined with that of regional health care providers and provides students with practical, hands-on educational experience. |
