Creating a Significant Urban Presence

Lane Community College desired a significant downtown presence to complement its main “rural” campus five miles away. Integrating into and enriching its community, this project combines effective urban design and architectural details to create a prototype for sustainable neighborhood development. The project has transformed a downtown brownfield site next to the city’s main public library and transportation hub by introducing education and student housing in a high-performance/low-energy affordable building that showcases renewable energy.

The LEED Platinum building is composed of two interlocking “L” shaped buildings surrounding a central courtyard on a half block site in an urban setting. The academic building faces onto two main public avenues giving it a strong urban presence. A dramatic 4-story glass entry façade screened with glass solar tubes faces the plaza, advertising the College’s commitment to sustainability and its presence downtown.

The entire ground floor is organized around an inner courtyard which helps to inner connect the student housing and the academic spaces. This space is visible throughout the building, from the student lounge at the west edge, through the Center for Meeting and Learning which bisects the courtyard, and all the way to the to the east edge of the academic building. Since this space does not receive a great deal of direct sunlight, the selection of paving and plant materials was inspired by another shaded and secluded environment: the underbrush of a Pacific-Northwest coastal forest. Ferns, moss, vine maple, salal and other native species thrive in this environment.

The building’s main entry opens to a five story atrium which extends to the great hall – the academic core stretching from one end of the building to the other – and the inner courtyard beyond. Service access for the entire complex is located off the alley. On the upper floors, classrooms and labs face the streets, while offices and conference rooms overlook the courtyard.

Pyatok Architects was the architect for the student housing and Robertson/Sherwood/Architects served as Architect-of-Record.