The MiraCosta Community College Chemistry and Biotech building, being designed and built by HED and C.W. Driver, is a modern facility with a light, strong, and visible structural frame. But it also draws on the Southern California vernacular, which is warm and solid. This duality provides a dynamic sense of interplay.

OCEANSIDE, Calif., June 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- National architecture and engineering firm HED and leading California contractor C.W. Driver have begun work on a new Chemistry and Biotechnology laboratory building for the MiraCosta Community College District (MCCD).

The $37.4 million project, crafted through a design-build partnership between HED and C.W. Driver, will include 24,000 square feet of state-of-the-art STEM instructional space for 21st century learning, including new chemistry labs and 40-person, flexible classrooms. As MCCD's Biotechnology Program continues to expand and its baccalaureate degree comes online, the building will provide a new, expanded home for the program.

The building is sited on the northeast quadrant of the college's Oceanside Campus. The project is envisioned to advance MCCD's STEM curriculum to the next level with the help of this facility's mix of instructional, work, social, and laboratory spaces. The entire building will be activated through integration with the latest learning technology systems. This tangible and virtual instructional flexibility will benefit both students and faculty.

The project will be a major component of the school's Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) quad and plaza. The design takes advantage of the mild climate of Oceanside through the incorporation of a 'big roof' that provides a weather-protected exterior space for gatherings and interactions and serves as a transition from the building into the quad. Porches of varying widths, covered and screened, are used to activate connections to adjoining spaces and provide exterior study and meeting spaces for students.

The building's architectural design features a unique duality that provides a dynamic sense of interplay. It is a modern science building with a light, strong, visible structural frame. Conversely, it draws on a Southern California regional vernacular that is solid and warm.

"This facility takes a 'science on display' approach to stimulating student interest and sharing aspects of the Chemistry and Biotech programs with visitors as well. Large windows and continuous circulation routes allow easy circulation around the building without disturbing classes and labs," said Jennette La Quire, Principal and project leader with HED.

"This new facility is an investment beyond just MCCD's campus as their STEM graduates go on to create positive impact in their communities. The HED and C.W. Driver teams are pleased to be part of creating this valuable new hub for that advancement," said Andy Feth, project executive with C.W. Driver.