Southeastern Louisiana University Science and Technology Building

SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITY

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BUILDING HAMMOND, LOUISIANA

“

The building reflects the spirit of the professions it serves.

“

- Mohammad Saadeh, Ph.D., MBA, Department Head, Industrial and Engineering Technology

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

THE DEPARTMENT’S MISSION: Support the economic development of the region by providing a premier, industry-relevant, undergraduate education, rich in real-world-ready experiences, undergraduate research, and a mixture of theoretical and hands-on coursework

There is a focus today to create educational places that recognizes 21st Century needs in an academic community-based environment. Such an environment should completely support work, play & study through immersion, in order to deepen the learning experience.

With the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, came a diaspora of faculty from various institutions in New Orleans, many of which landed at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana, one of the first stops north of New Orleans. The Southeastern Industrial & Engineering Technology Department was the beneficiary of many of these faculty. With vision from the University, the conceptualization of a new facility was developed to address the needs of 21st Century education.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The University has in the past prided itself in the student career placement of individuals within the industry as ready to work. Recently they have joined a consortium of higher educational institutions that will supply work ready individuals to the 2nd largest economic development announcement made in 2017, nationally. DXC Technology, Inc., one of the largest digital transformation companies in the world, has committed to the region the development of a center for digital transformation that will produce 2,000 jobs by 2025. This building and its products will feed this need.

The implementation of a facility for a specialized new and developing curriculum poses specific design challenges. This problem definition can be stated in terms of campus function, form, economy, image, style, materials and landscapes.

These statements can summarize as well as express the essence and uniqueness 2

“

This is a transformational project for Southeastern for a number of reasons, including workforce development as we continue to evolve the university to fulfill our mission of serving our region,

“

John L. Crain, Southeastern Louisiana University President

of this project. The results of analyzing and presenting these factors to stakeholders in a workshop format, developed a set of key design issues and goals for the project.

The building designers collaborated with the users of the building and developed approaches to address the building’s purpose.

Through the workshop process, goals were established and through this effort, the building itself was conceived as a teaching tool, where the building systems were exposed so that participants can experience and use these systems as examples for learning. During the process, laboratories spaces were set up as transparent to exhibit the student and faculty work effort so that building occupants could sense the educational energy that is on-going.

Finally, the building addresses the 21st century need of providing informal social spaces where students and faculty can collaborate in a community atmosphere for discussion and idea making.

In addition to the specifics of the internal working of this cutting-edge building, the placement of this facility located on the

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

extreme south east edge of the campus, anchors the edge of the campus and offers an image of progress to the internal and external community, while relating back to the historic core of the campus in a contemporary fashion.

The building consists of high bay laboratory spaces on the first floor. Smaller labs, classrooms, and computer labs on the second floor. Faculty offices, research labs, outdoor deck research space and the department suite are on the third floor. Many sustainable strategies have been integrated into the site design. Built in controls for building operations has reduced energy consumption and cost.

Additionally, an apparatus was installed at the west facade of the building that serves a dual purpose. It is a west facing shading scrim and veils a research focused roof deck at the third floor. The grid framework of the scrim allows for the attachment of instruments such as wind turbines, solar photo voltaic panels, and various types of robotics-based research equipment all for experimentation purposes.

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SCOPE OF WORK AND BUDGET

70,035

$17,581,733

SQUARE FEET

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST

590

STUDENT CAPACITY

43

FACULTY

2017

COMPLETED

SITE

HAMMOND BATON ROUGE NEW ORLEANS

SCOPE OF WORK AND BUDGET

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SCHOOL & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

ACADEMIC COMMUNITY

Southeastern Louisiana University is a regional 4-year higher education university that is part of the University of Louisiana System comprised of nine regional universities distributed around the State of Louisiana. They pride themselves as an institution where employers know that their graduates are prepared to succeed. They provide national level academics that focus on real-life experiences propel students from all places, backgrounds, and abilities to bright futures that they can take hold of with the skills necessary for lifelong success. Because Southeastern cares, its students succeed.

SCHOOL & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

STAKEHOLDERS - A COLLABORATION

The specific community that was part of this design effort was the faculty, staff and students of the Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology. This group comprised the internal stakeholders. However, the technology community at large were also players in this effort as they are the beneficiaries of the products produced. These stakeholders drove the process of development of the program and purpose for this building.

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CHALLENGES

During the programming process, the designers engaged the stakeholders in a collaborative process in order to seek ideal solutions. The design team engaged the stakeholders in a Charrette that identified The Key Design Issues and Design Challenges.

KEY DESIGN ISSUES • Refinement of the environment for 21st Century Learning for this newly developed curriculum must be embraced: - Inclusion of formal and informal collaboration spaces - Consider the building as a teaching tool - Consider the building as a research tool - Consider flexibility in order to adapt to change • Provide for security at sensitive research and equipment areas • The facility design must be considerate of climatic conditions • The new facility should relate to the contextual campus core and immediate surroundings • Existing live oaks on the site should be saved • The location will draw students to the campus edge and offer an opportunity to refine the edge of the campus • Interface the building with the evolving campus pedestrian circulation • Develop a rear secure exterior work area that interfaces with interior research spaces

Main Entrance SCHOOL & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

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DESIGN CHALLENGES

The implementation of a facility for a specialized new and developing curriculum poses specific design challenges. This problem definition can be stated in terms of campus function, form, economy, image, style, materials and landscapes. These statements can summarize as well as express the essence and uniqueness of this project.

Campus Function - This project will provide the opportunity to centralize.

Form - The form must reinforce the campus edge and speak to progress.

Economy - The project budget is fixed. The quality must be balanced.

Image - The image of the building should send a message of progress, ingenuity and creativity.

Style - This building should relate to the past, yet speak to today.

Materials - Through building materials as the vocabulary of a campus, this building must respond to the campus character and vernacular.

Landscapes - Continuation of current cohesive environment.

Landmarks - This building must be a landmark.

Flexibility - Technology adaptability and flexibility must be built-in.

“

We have high-rate faculty and students already, so this facility will only help to strengthen our programs even more.

“

Dan MaCarthy, Dean of the College of Science and Technology, Southeastern Louisiana University

SCHOOL & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

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FORM ENTRANCES

A photo essay was conducted on the campus to establish a basis for contextual design decisions. The images contained herein were an influence in establishing the contextual relationship for this work. The essay embraced Form, Details, Entrances, Fenestration, Building Corners, Roof Edges, and Landscapes.

DETAILS

AVAILABLE ASSETS

The campus, in today’s master planning semantics, is considered an urban university with many buildings interspersed with connecting green space. A contextual analysis was developed to establish a vocabulary for design.

BUILDING CORNERS LANDSCAPE

The collaboration with the users of the facility resulted in establishing the parameters for the project. The effort ensured that the solutions that were to be developed were guidance in order to address the needs of the industry-based community in which this entity has close relationships.

ROOF EDGES

VALUE

The final steps in this pre-design effort was to establish the specific space needs of the facility as it related to addressing the needs of industry going forward. One of the primary goals of the building was for it to remain flexible to adapt to future “unknowns” as outlined in the goals above.

FENESTRATION

SITE

A site analysis was done to establish the best location for the facility. The graphic representation of the analysis established constraints and opportunities.

SCHOOL & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

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LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

EDUCATIONAL VISION AND GOALS

As indicated in the introduction the university prides itself in producing a product where employers know that their graduates are prepared to succeed. They provide national level academics that focus on real-life experiences propel students from all places, backgrounds, and abilities to bright futures that they can take hold of with the skills necessary for lifelong success. On a more specific level Southeastern Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology’s mission is to support the economic development of the region by providing a premier, industry-relevant, undergraduate education, rich in real-worldready experiences, undergraduate research, and a mixture of theoretical and hands-on coursework.

During the programming phase in collaboration with stakeholders, the project goals were defined.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

PROJECT GOALS • The building should be an appropriate and successful facility housing new and developing programs while meeting all requirements set forth by the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology Inc. • The building shall include new efficient and safe lab areas properly accommodating all required equipment.

• The building shall provide large volumes as required for specific laboratory space • In siting the building as the south entrance to the campus, the new facility shall continue the announcement of the University’s progress.

• The new building should act as a catalyst to enhance pedestrian circulation on campus.

• The building should allow flexibility to adapt to new technologies yet undefined.

• The building should be considered a teaching tool.

• The building shall embody the latest technology in teaching & operation.

• The building shall embrace the latest thinking in higher education as it relates to work, study and play as an environment for learning.

• The building design will address accessibility for the entire faculty, student and public areas.

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SUPPORTING THE CURRICULUM

There are numerous curriculum tracks offered with the Southeastern Department of Engineering Technology.

At the global level the building was required to address specific industrial and technological needs but in all cases this higher education environment was required to support and encourage collaboration, investigation, and inquiry, through transparency, thus generating energy and excitement. In addition, the need to be technically flexible in order to address the future was an important part of the solution and because of the curriculum, the building itself was envisioned as a systems teaching tool.

COLLABORATION, INVESTIGATION & INQUIRY Social spaces for relaxing and collaborating in public corridors were developed.

These common spaces were envisioned to where faculty and staff could enjoin in conversations and inquiry. The environment was intended to create a sense of total immersion where its participants want to be there and where learners could live, work, and play within the learning environment.

TRANSPARENCY ENERGY & EXCITEMENT This building design responded to the community of learning with the need to exhibit to occupants, activity within the building, thus creating transparency between common areas and active laboratories. The notion that students could informally see such activity can only create a sense of energy resulting in inquiry.

ENVIRONMENT & TEACHING STYLES At the higher education level, there is less emphasis put on learning styles in that by this level students should know more specifically what the process in which they best learn. The four types of learners (visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic) are readily addressed within the confines of this building through collaboration spaces, both formal and informal that allow visual writing and graphic opportunities (visual), discussions (auditory), computer access (reading/writing) and most of all, hands-on (kinesthetic) opportunities.

ADAPTABILITY & FLEXIBILITY OF ENVIRONMENT Two of the main goals of this building were to allow flexibility & create the opportunity for the building to be a teaching tool.

The hands-on laboratories were set up as shop type bays that allow the curriculum to be the driver in the process of set up. Technology and systems were exposed to allow there to be opportunities for teaching and referring to systems within the building.

“

It allows for future expansion and the rooms are flexibly designed where they can be fairly easily transformed.

“

Mohammad Saadeh, Ph.D., MBA Department Head, Industrial and Engineering Technology

Transparency LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

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PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

HANDS ON EXPERIENCE Our programs are designed with industry in mind, thus students are trained to use variety of equipment and processes.

Outdoor research deck and scrim / The building as a research tool

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES AND CONTEXT

As stated in the goals and key driving issues, these markers and the key influences and goals discussed were guidance. With this knowledge, the design team developed an understanding of the building’s place and purpose within the whole of the campus. The immediate sister buildings, While Hall, Mead Hall and Pursley Hall as well as the historic core suggested that the building speak to the vocabulary of the campus and equally addresses its day and time in the history of this 90-year-old campus.

INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

The design effort considered the following: • Sensitivity to the habits of 21st Century learners.

• The inclusion of formal and informal collaboration spaces • Using the building itself as a teaching tool.

• Embracing the notion that learning involved, working, living and playing within the learning environment.

• Provide transparency which creates an atmosphere of energy, and excitement.

• Exposing activity and energy to occupants.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

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“

This project is unique in many ways, even its design exposes the building’s systems to students so that they become familiar to how buildings work.

“

Chris Broadwater, Former State Representative

OUTDOOR LEARNING

RESEARCH LAB

CORRIDOR

Building Section

FACULTY OFFICE

LABORATORY

LABORATORY TRANSPARENCY

RESEARCH MEZZANINE BEYOND

OUTDOOR LEARNING

Communicating Lobby Space

COILING DOOR

LABORATORY

CORRIDOR

RESEARCH & SHADING SCRIM

CORRIDOR

TRANSPARENCY

TRANSPARENCY

Collaboration Space

Main Entrance PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

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RESULTS OF THE PLANNING PROCESS & PROJECT

Elevation Study

Stacking Study

3-Dimensional Studies

COLLABORATION

The planning process was collaborative. It included all the stakeholders at all phases. The designers expressed to the stakeholders that there are always multiple solutions to any design challenge, and it was their belief that the best solution is defined with the actual users of the building in collaboration.

Workshops were developed with the intention of gaining consensus on the best approach to the design solution. In all cases, multiple solutions were presented and the designers facilitated the process of establishing the best solution(s).

RESULTS OF THE PLANNING PROCESS & PROJECT

DESIGN PROCESS - SITE

A site analysis was initiated to establish the best location for the new building.

Through workshops with stakeholders, the site was selected and a study of the immediate area was done.

DESIGN PROCESS - MASSING

Massing studies, elevation studies, 3D studies and stacking diagrams were developed to establish the highest and best use and organization of the space.

These were presented in a workshop for evaluation and development of consensus as to the best solution.

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EDUCATIONAL GOALS & OBJECTIVES

• Support the economic development of the region.

• Provide premier, industry-relevant, undergraduate education, rich in real-world-ready experiences.

DESIGN RESPONSE • Addressing the 21st Century need to provide informal social spaces for collaboration and idea making.

• Transparency in laboratory spaces to exhibit student and faculty work.

• Creating an atmosphere of living, working and playing within a learning environment.

• The building itself is a teaching tool.

SCHOOL DISTRICT GOALS

• Preparing graduates to succeed.

• National level academics that focus on real-life experiences.

• Students mastery of the skills for lifelong success.

DESIGN RESPONSE • Providing an environment that responds to the depth of experience required to fulfill real-world needs.

• Providing social elements to support student and faculty to live the experience.

• The informal spaces support a total live, work, play concept which encourages students to investigate, grow, and gain energy in the process of development of their skills.

• Develop informal spaces to support a total live, work, play concept which encourages students to investigate, grow, and gain energy in the process of development of their skill-sets.

RESULTS OF THE PLANNING PROCESS & PROJECT

COMMUNITY GOALS

• INDUSTRY: To obtain qualified work ready individuals who can successfully contribute.

• UNIVERSITY: It was important to enhance pedestrian, parking and the outward image of the university.

• CIVIC COMMUNITY: To have a strong interface with the university.

THE RESPONSE • INDUSTRY: The environment has changed energy and activity, resulting in an increased level and depth of learning.

• UNIVERSITY: The placement of the building on the southeast corner of the campus offers an image of progress and excitement.

• CIVIC COMMUNITY: The redevelopment of the edge reinforces the connection to the community.

Transparency

Collaboration 14

UNINTENDED RESULTS & ACHIEVEMENTS

While in one of the initial workshops it was conceived that the building could be a teaching tool, an idea from the faculty resulted in development of a course for credit that teaches the systems in the building.

“

The building reflects the spirit of the professions it serves. It is designed for people in the engineering, industrial, technology field. Thus, the stripped and exposed ceilings and the slab flooring are elements that speak directly to this. Since it opened its doors to faculty and students, it became a game changer to the two departments it serves. It allows for future expansion and the rooms are flexibly designed where they can be fairly easily transformed to match different needs. The wide windows in faculty offices, classrooms and labs allow for natural daylight to enter the building and gives a sense of openness and comfort. The building has been a point of pride for its residents and users. It has been toured by many groups, including potential students and their parents, industrial partners, community visitors, and potential donors.

“

Mohammad Saadeh, Ph.D., MBA, Department Head, Industrial and Engineering Technology, Southeastern Louisiana University RESULTS OF THE PLANNING PROCESS & PROJECT

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