DESIGNWORKS 2023

NC A&T

Greensboro, NC

Kristen Cherry and Jacqueline Lerner (UNC Greensboro)

We were tasked with renovating an NC A&T campus building for three new undergraduate programs; construction management, landscape architecture and urban planning. Our design concept is based on the ideas of rootedness, community, and transcendence.

NC A&T is the nation’s largest historically black university (HBCU), with a rich history and thriving community. We were tasked with renovating the second and third floor of an existing campus building to accommodate three new undergraduate programs; construction management, landscape architecture and urban planning.

According to the requirements, the space should reinforce the university’s commitment to student wellbeing and excellence in learning. The design must embody the qualities of health and wellness as well as creativity and collaboration, with an emphasis on wayfinding and sustainability. The client also expressed interest in a design that responds to rapidly advancing technology and enhanced teaching and learning strategies.

The design concept for the University of North Carolina A&T, is based on the ideas of rootedness, community and transcendence. Our goal is to design a space that not only exceeds the program requirements, but also embodies NC A&T’s deep history and sense of community and reflects their uncompromising support of their students.

Concept
The floorplan is divided by discipline, with student and faculty spaces that are integrated so that students are never far from support.
When students enter the building, they enter an active community space, so that they feel immediately immersed in community.
A double height ceiling provides visual connectedness between the floors, furthering the community experience.
Large wooden columns show the structure of the building, to convey the concept of rootedness.
The visual support system is a reminder of the supportive community that elevates students.
The stairs as a focal point convey both rootedness and transcendence.
The large skylights convey transcendence.
Stitched patterning in the flooring is used for wayfinding and reflects the cultural precedent of traditional African American weaving.

Student Wellbeing and Sustainability
A supportive environment and access to faculty supports wellness.
All spaces provide ample light, through windows and skylights.
Students have access to an outdoor classroom and collaboration space.
Sustainable and natural materials, such as oak, bamboo, concrete and stone, are used as much as possible in the classrooms as well as collaboration and community spaces.
Recycling centers are placed throughout the building for student use.
Hydration stations are available and convenient for student use.
Plants and visual access to the outdoors promote a biophilic environment.

Enhanced Teaching and Learning Styles and Technology
All classrooms have furniture that can be moved and configured in a variety of ways.
Sit to stand desks are utilized in studio spaces to enhance student comfort and learning.
Each student has individual task lighting in their studio environment.
All classrooms have large smart boards and projection screens.
Individual and communal workspaces are provided to meet differing student needs.

Creativity and Collaboration
The floorplan is designed to give ample space for studios and collaborative environments.
An outdoor gathering space and classroom gives further space for collaboration and enhances the student experience.
The outdoor classroom also provides garden beds for landscape architecture students to gain hands on experience.
Mobile furniture in classrooms support collaborative and creative learning.

The design concept for the University of North Carolina A&T, is based on the ideas of rootedness, community, and transcendence.

When we seek education, it is often to transcend our experience, whether figuratively, by encountering new ideas, or literally, by impacting the trajectory of our lives by earning a degree. While often illuminating, the attempt to expand in this way can also be unsettling. Therefore, it is necessary to be supported and grounded.

By rooting their students in a strong sense of community, North Carolina A&T supports their students on their path towards transcending their present experience to reach their goals.