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By Lindsey Coulter ��

The new $151 million City College of San Francisco (CCSF) STEAM Building communicates its academic purpose almost immediately. From the outside, students and visitors see not just the interplay of sunlight on the building’s textured facade, they can also see directly into the facility itself—where science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics instruction is fully on display. Inside, the building offers a dynamic learning environment complete with the latest technologies and a rich color palette. ��

These thoughtful and impactful design strategies by integrated design firm SmithGroup are representative of the immense care and intention brought to every aspect of the building’s development. The SmithGroup team worked closely with CCSF officials, Kitchell construction management, and collaborative Design-Build partners at Rudolph + Sletten to deliver a technical, compact and challenging project at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and within a limited budget. The project challenged the team to think broadly and innovatively to connect art and science education in new and exciting ways. ��

Engaging and Listening ��

The 124,000-square-foot STEAM Building was part of an $845 million public bond effort to update City College instructional spaces and address aging infrastructure. CCSF administrators used part of the funding to prioritize STEAM education, modernize outdated infrastructure, and foster interdisciplinary knowledge to better prepare students for an evolving economy.  ��

The team of SmithGroup and Rudolph + Sletten was awarded to the project under the first progressive design-build delivery approach commissioned by the CCSF Community College District. The team was tasked with developing numerous programming, design and pricing options to maximize the college’s budget. To accomplish this, SmithGroup created design criteria using stakeholders’ priorities and institutional goals which developed into a survey tool that allowed faculty, staff, and students to vote on aspects of the design that best aligned with the criteria. The team also used brainstorming exercises to help university leaders to think more deeply about interdisciplinary teaching and learning. The approach gave stakeholders a sense of co-creation and ownership, but also helped identify spatial challenges and organizational opportunities.  ��

Prioritizing Needs ��

In addition to balancing constraints related to the pandemic and budget reductions, the team also faced the challenge of fitting all programs and spaces within the building’s compact footprint.  ��

“STEAM is a relatively rare typology for higher education and community colleges,” said Rosa Sheng, FAIA, director of Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and Higher Education Studio Leader for Smith Group’s San Francisco office. “While the STEAM interdisciplinary mindset is the goal, getting every department under one roof is challenging from a space and cost perspective.”  �į��

The project team and CCSF officials ultimately prioritized programs with the greatest infrastructure and space needs: Chemistry, Biology and 2D/3D Arts. The intent was to develop a highly transparent interdisciplinary hub for these programs while still welcoming the broader STEAM learning community. The solution was a simple structure to meet the efficiency of construction budget and schedule, paired with the design concept of stacking drawers. This allowed each floor’s interior composition to represent the building’s interdisciplinary nature. ��

The first floor focuses on shared instructional and collaboration spaces, while the second-floor houses art instruction, faculty offices and biology labs. Upper floors host integrated lab and lecture spaces for biology and chemistry. The project also introduced new tools and technologies. The Anatomy Lab now includes a cadaver room, there are new fume hoods in the chemistry lab, a greenhouse on the second floor for the Biology Department, and the Arts Department includes a kiln for the ceramics and sculpture programs, exhaust systems and chemical storage for printmaking, paints and materials. ��

Artful Aesthetics ��

The STEAM Building was envisioned as a radically welcoming, accessible interdisciplinary hub that provides safe and comfortable spaces for all users. It also had to meet the college’s strategic goals of cultivating curiosity, creativity and collaboration, while ensuring future-ready resilience.  �į��

This passion, shared by all project team members, is reflected through several thoughtful design strategies. For example, an Innovation Center on the first level opens to the outdoor plaza, inviting students and visitors into the building while showcasing the highly flexible makerspace and collaboration areas. To equip students for the careers of the future, the state-of-the-art lab and arts instruction spaces are designed for interdisciplinary education. Integrating welcoming spaces for individual and group study, tutoring and mentorship on all floors disrupts barriers to learning and engagement. ��

To further celebrate interdisciplinary learning, the team used “The Art of the Sciences” and “The Science of the Arts” approach to catalyze a shift in pedagogy. For example, the third-floor Anatomy Lab, which studies the human body from a biological perspective, is located above the figure-drawing studio, which celebrates the human body in art, explained Bill Katz, AIA, senior design principal and architect with SmithGroup. ��

“I love exploring the idea that the design of buildings on a campus can have a profound effect on interdisciplinary curriculum, and the sense of collected community that comes with it,” Katz said. ��

The team also developed a strategy in which fire separation doors on hold-opens allowed for each level to be interconnected with a feature staircase and student resource spaces. This smart interpretation of the code helped to create welcoming “heart spaces” that unified social zones on each floor. ��

“It was important to connect all four floors in a very intentional way, both physically and visually,” said Jason Campbell, Associate AIA, NOMA, associate and design lead with SmithGroup. “The centrally located open stair area and elevator core features a 4-story collage inspired by Diego Rivera’s ‘Pan American Unity’ mural, distilling the tones and hues used in the original fresco.” ��

The mural and its color palette serve as the foundation for the connectedness of arts and sciences throughout the building. Distinct orange, yellow and blue tones from the mural distinguish each floor to support wayfinding. The color theme is also expressed in the hallways, student resource spaces, open stairwell and restrooms.  �į��

Learn more about the CCSF STEAM Center, which opened in January, in the upcoming March/April digital edition of �山ǿ��.��