College of Design Addition- Iowa State University

RDG Planning & Design

Recognitions: 2009 Design Awards

Project Description

The project challenge was to create a relatively small addition to the rear of an existing Brutalistic style 1978 6-story College of Design Facility that is set within a highly geometric site organization. The building program includes housing the Freshman Core Design program and second year Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Interior Design design studio classrooms that facilitates interaction and exploration of ideas. The project is sustainably designed and will search for a high level of LEED certification. One of the project's main goals is to create a "living laboratory" that will demonstrate sustainability and sustainable design to the students learning in the facility. The solution presented is of a Pavilion Design, pulled slightly away from the main building and organized as a two-story form with open studio classroom environment organized around a central core space that functions as a flexible experimentation space. The center volume allows natural daylight to penetrate deep into the center of the building to the lower level. Clerestory and full height corner perimeter widows captures daylight into each studio classroom. The building will essentially require no electric lighting during daytime hours. Automatic operable windows allow for natural ventilation and are integral with the mechanical control systems. The use of a vegetated roof on the facility reduces heat island affect and storm water management needs on the property. The Pavilion is nestled within the existing site and built upon two existing site walls allowing the building to take full advantage of the existing depressed courtyard space and presents a lower profile against the main building. the floating vegetated roof acts as an extension of the landscape as viewed from above and inside the main building.