holabird + root: waubonsee plano classroom building

‘waubonsee plano classroom building’ by holabird + root, sugar grove, illinois images courtesy of holabird + root

the waubonsee community college plano classroom building by holabird and root is designed as a stand-alone satellite campus, augmenting waubonsee community college’s main campus located in sugar grove, illinois. the facility will consist of approximately 33,000 square feet of space spread over two stories. the building contains classrooms, laboratories, student study areas, and support space. strategically placed, the structure takes advantage of access and views to lake plano, creating prominent views of the building from the surrounding community.

entry

the design is intended to establish both a fully operational college at a satellite location, self-sufficient operation, and an experience consistent with the main campus. one of the major goals of the design was to create a campus identity as both the sole building presently and as a centerpiece for the future expansion of the plano campus. the solution was to position the unit on the site such that the internal spaces and experiences are promoted, through strategically located windows and curtain wall, to the outside community. the building’s architecture serves as both the campus image and message to the community; quite literally the color palette for the exterior materials matches the schools colors.

student commons

the final design is a synthesis of constraining both the program and the architecture of the project. this results in a building that is nearly

pure in how it functions both internally and externally.the arrangement of the plan and major programmatic elements is organized to create

the full multiple building campus experience within one building. with the understanding that learning takes place both in the classroom

and in the “in between” spaces the design allows for informal spaces and generously sized circulation to connect the major programmatic

elements. these informal spaces are not just corridors but also act as the student lobby, study spaces, and gathering zones. this was achieved

by refining the net program to its most efficient size and designing the remaining gross area program to be useful spaces beyond circulation. break – out space "mezzanine"