The University of Hawaii West Oahu campus is nearing the completion of its newest building, the 43,000-sf Administration and Allied Health Building.
The new $36 million facility consolidates office space for campus leadership into a single location and also provides general purpose classrooms and wet/dry teaching laboratories for microbiology, cellular/molecular, anatomy/physiology, and organic chemistry.
Designed by Perkins+Will’s LA Studio in collaboration with KYA Design Group, the building design was inspired by the gable roof form of historic sugar mills common to the area. The building enclosure utilizes CMU (concrete masonry unit) as a monolithic skin with its texture and pattern inspired by traditional Hawaiian kapa (cloth).
Courtesy of Perkins+Will's LA Studio.
On the southern facade, deep, open-air lanais (balconies) connect the interior and outdoor circulation. The lanais act as a natural gathering space, an extension of the classroom, and are connected visually and physically to the Great Lawn.
“The challenge was how to best consolidate the distinct functions of teaching labs and classrooms within the same building as office space for the campus administration,” says Mark Tagawa, Associate Principal at Perkins+Will’s LA Studio, in a release. “We wanted to create a facility that interacted with the landscape in a sympathetic way, through water management, landscaping, and materiality. Cultural and ecological appropriateness was our filter for all design decisions.”
Courtesy of Perkins+Will's LA Studio.
The campus is located on former sugar cane land with a legacy of over 100 years of agriculture. Sustained tilling has left the topsoil depleted of organic matter, which decreases the ability to retain water and support new plant life. The project seeks to rectify this issue by restoring, healing, and rebuilding the topsoil via nitrogen fixing planting, implementing onsite ecological water and nutrient management, and regenerating and reviving native landscaping.
The Administration & Allied Health Building will open to students in spring 2019.
Courtesy of Perkins+Will's LA Studio.
Related Stories
University Buildings | Aug 8, 2017
Student center(ed): Is the student union the key to retention?
Studies indicate that the longer a student remains on campus—and in an academic mindset—the greater their chance for academic growth and success.
Healthcare Facilities | Aug 8, 2017
Kansas’ only medical school receives new 171,000-sf building
The building was designed to enhance the medical campus’ existing facilities, curriculum, and classrooms.
Laboratories | Aug 3, 2017
Today’s university lab building by the numbers
A three-month study of science facilities conducted by Shepley Bulfinch reveals key findings related to space allocation, size, and cost.
Education Facilities | Aug 3, 2017
School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University merges faculty, professionals, and academic programs
CannonDesign designed the facility, which features a 197-seat presentation hall and various control rooms.
Wood | Jul 10, 2017
University of Idaho Arena plans to make timber a focal point
The project received a Wood Innovation Grant that will help spur construction of the Hastings + Chivetta-designed project.
University Buildings | Jun 29, 2017
Duke University’s new alumni and visitors center is a ‘modern adaptation of the campus’ architectural style’
The project will total about 47,000 sf of new construction and renovations.
University Buildings | Jun 21, 2017
Student residence hall in Lisbon takes biophilic design to the next level
The luxury student accommodations will be Collegiate’s first outside of the U.K.
Building Team Awards | Jun 7, 2017
Blurring the lines: University of Chicago North Residential Commons
Gold Award: The University of Chicago’s new Residential Commons is part campus, part community.
Higher Education | Jun 7, 2017
Building for the future: Five trends in higher education projects
Preparing students for life after graduation has become the primary motivator behind construction initiatives at U.S. colleges and universities.
University Buildings | May 5, 2017
'Escape forward': How one public university plans to grow
How can public institutions expect to survive and thrive in Illinois' turbulent environment? The answer, for one school anyways, is to think and act like entrepreneurs.
