College Station, TX
College Station, TX
This building will create a lasting impression on prospective students from all over the world. Texas A&M is known for its tradition, but the ILCB represents an evolution that will allow us to keep up with the ever-changing world around us.
The new Innovative Learning Classroom Building will propel the next generation of students toward the future. Located at the heart of the Texas A&M campus, this signature building defines a new immersive experience.
Blurring the boundaries between teaching and learning, building and site, and tradition and innovation, this project is truly unique. The building’s geometric stacked forms establish a new design language reflecting the innovative program within, while elements of brick and limestone honor the existing campus context.
Engaging learning environments include technology-rich classrooms, three in-the-round arenas, small and large learning studios, and a collocated instructional support hub promoting TAMU’s active learning pedagogies. The new 118,000-square-foot build houses 2,200 general purpose seats in 10 classrooms. Across two levels of the building there are instructional spaces ranging in size from 600 seats to 72 seats.
A diversity of indoor and outdoor study spaces fosters a learning landscape across the building. A mezzanine lounge and terrace overlook the bustling activity below, offering connections to the surrounding campus.
Check out TAMU’s short video highlighting the innovation of this facility through its unique classrooms and advanced technologies.
Climate
The project mitigates the harsh Texas climate by providing a variety of shared outdoor shaded spaces, allowing students to comfortably gather outside and increase walkability on campus. Strategically placed windows, treated with terracotta louvers and ceramic frit, keep heat gain to a minimum while celebrating views of the campus, resulting in a modeled EUI of 78–a 31% improvement upon the regional benchmark.
Health
The project’s interior is comprised of natural, local, durable materials that keep maintenance to a minimum and offer a biophilic and human-scale respite between classes. Triple-pane windows were deployed on the south to shield students from sounds of local train tracks, while excellent indoor air quality was achieved by avoiding materials containing VOCs and other toxins.
Equity
To address learning differences within the student population, the building contains nine different types of classrooms, each of which encourages active learning to support multi-modal experiences. These formal spaces are then supplemented with varied informal learning spaces–study dens, open lounges, nooks, booths and rooms–spread throughout the building, providing opportunities for all kinds of learners.
Size
117,000 sf
Recognitions
IIDA Oregon Design Excellence Awards, 2024,
Honorable Mention in Education
Collaborators
Perkins+Will (Architect of Record)
Office of James Burnett
Jaffe Holden
Shah Smith + Associates
JQ Engineering
Vaughn Construction