Technical College of the Lowcountry, Multi-Purpose Building

Awarded:

• AIA Columbia, Honor Award, 2008
• AIA South Carolina, Merit Award, 2007

This 32,000 SF, multi-purpose building is the first facility built on a new campus for the technical college located in Beaufort, SC, setting the tone for future construction as the campus flagship building. Situated along the only corridor of a historic district, the project underwent rigorous local design review while simultaneously striving to respond to our client’s mandate for a contemporary, technological image. To strike a balance, the architects utilized traditional stucco with embedded whelk shells and stained cedar trim within an abstracted geometric composition. A linear reflecting pool and low-entry canopy are introduced to recall coastal elements such as boardwalks and marshes while curved wood and stainless steel in the lobby further recall nautical architecture. The theme of rushing water is further suggested on floors throughout the building by random “shards” of dark vinyl embedded in a white VCT floor.