University of West Florida’s New School of Science and Engineering Building Adheres to PKAL Principles
Interdisciplinary collaboration, science on display, sustainable design and flexible laboratories are design drivers
04.26.2010 – PENSACOLA, Fla. – Some 1,000 undergraduates began taking science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classes this Spring semester at the University of West Florida’s new School of Science and Engineering. The $30.6 million state-funded building embodies the principles of Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL), an advocate in the United States for building and sustaining strong undergraduate STEM programs by transforming the learning environment.
Designed by architecture firm Lord, Aeck & Sargent, the four-story, 94,719-square-foot building is an energy- and water-efficient structure that is targeting LEED silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
“We chose Lord, Aeck & Sargent as our architect because of the firm’s experience in designing buildings with a PKAL mindset,” said Leo ter Haar, director of the School of Science and Engineering.
That mindset, ter Haar noted, comprises an approach that provides multiple opportunities for STEM faculty and students to collaborate across disciplines. It also places science on display and features sustainable design strategies as well as flexible laboratory and teaching spaces that can easily adapt to inevitable changes in educational programs. These principles became design drivers for the building.
“What I like best about the building is the way it’s designed more around people and what they do than it is around the technologies,” ter Haar said. “We’re proud of the way the spaces make it easier for people to work together, since historically our STEM disciplines were in individual buildings where it just wasn’t easy for people to interact across disciplines. The new building makes it really possible for faculty to share their turf and their toys, and it helps us put that PKAL vision and theory of collaboration into practice.”
Glass atrium joins wings, features science on display
The building is configured in two masonry wings – one drum-shaped and the other bar-shaped – joined by a four-story atrium of glass supported by steel trusses. The atrium is entered from the north on grade, where concrete patios used for outdoor gatherings connect the building to a campus green space to the north. Because the building is sited on a hill, the atrium is entered from the south via a bridge leading to the second floor. The bridge spans an informal,
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- The University of West Florida has a new School of Science and Engineering Building that promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, puts science on display, and features both flexible laboratories and sustainable design.
- The building, designed by Lord, Aeck & Sargent, is targeting LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
- The four-story, 94,719-square-foot building is configured in two masonry wings – one drum-shaped and the other bar-shaped – joined by a four-story atrium of glass supported by steel trusses.
- The drum-shaped wing accommodates a 1,000-square-foot,17-foot-high holodeck, which is a virtual reality classroom.
- The building has become both a campus destination as well as a passageway from the UWF campus core to a new green space whose edge is defined by the building’s south and west faces.
- The University of West Florida has a new School of Science and Engineering Building that promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, puts science on display, and features both flexible laboratories and sustainable design.
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The University of West Florida's School of Science & Engineering Building features two four-story masonry wings joined by a glass atrium. © 2010 Richard Leo Johnson/Atlantic Archives, Inc. 
The School of Science and Engineering Building at the University of West Florida. © 2010 Richard Leo Johnson/Atlantic Archives, Inc. 
The 963-square-foot holodeck in the University of West Florida's School of Science & Engineering Building allows students to become fully immersed in their coursework. © 2010 Richard Leo Johnson/Atlantic Archives, Inc. 
An outdoor teaching space at the University of West Florida's School of Science & Engineering Building is wired for AV use. © 2010 Richard Leo Johnson/Atlantic Archives, Inc. 
A bridge leads to the second floor of the School of Science & Engineering at the University of West Florida. © 2010 Richard Leo Johnson/Atlantic Archives, Inc. 
The four-story atrium in the School of Science & Engineering at the University of West Florida puts science on display. © 2010 Richard Leo Johnson/Atlantic Archives, Inc. 
The School of Science and Engineering Building at the University of West Florida. © 2010 Richard Leo Johnson/Atlantic Archives, Inc. 
The School of Science and Engineering Building at the University of West Florida. © 2010 Richard Leo Johnson/Atlantic Archives, Inc. 
The School of Science and Engineering Building at the University of West Florida. © 2010 Richard Leo Johnson/Atlantic Archives, Inc. 
The auditorium in the School of Science & Engineering Building at the University of West Florida. © 2010 Richard Leo Johnson/Atlantic Archives, Inc. 
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