SSCC University Center

SSCC University Center in Seattle, Washington by Mithun

The following text and images (click for larger views) are courtesy Mithun for their design of the University Center at South Seattle Community College.

The creation of the new University Center at South Seattle Community College added a new academic quad to what was a purely vocational and technical college campus. Without a definable campus center or logical master plan, the 87-acre campus needed a design that would strengthen the campus center by enhancing existing open space and concentrating the college’s public functions. This new center of campus was placed along a pedestrian-oriented axis that runs through campus, connecting the isolated vocational/technical and academic programs of the college and linking the campus to the neighboring greenbelt.

The University Center building design, with its translucent front, expresses the importance of providing access to a four-year degree on a community college campus. It also forms an edge to the new central open space identified in the master plan for the college. The building was created as a “living room” for the community and an inspirational gathering spot for students considering the opportunity of continuing their education.

As a Beacon, the building strives to empower students contemplating an academic education. The two-story open space is transparent to the outdoor so the activity going on inside can be shared with onlookers and perceived as a method of acceptance to potential students. The concept of the Zipper is meant as a literal tie to the connection between the four-year students and the rest of campus. The large overhang of the building protects students as they move away from the building and creates a connection between the indoor and outdoor social space. The Edge concept centers on the landscape surrounding the new academic home. The design pushes the social space past the interior of the building, connecting it to the surrounding outdoor space and campus connections.

Concrete demonstrated a very durable, cost effective, low maintenance solution that allowed the design team to create a building shell which visually contrasts the solid, lasting structure with the airiness of the two-story atrium interior created by a glass curtain wall. Many of the operational and design features included sustainable solutions. In the classroom spaces, day lighting was a key element. The team used computer modeling to eliminate artificial light effectively during the day. A natural bioswale was created, in addition to a rain garden in the rear of the building to retain water and reduce or eliminate storm water.

The University Center is successful at incorporating the future goals and mission of the college. It reinforces the master plan by creating a social gathering outdoor space, leading to an accessible and welcoming living room for the students and the community. This accepting design is important because it sends a message that earning a four-year degree and continuing education is for everyone.