Paradise Valley Community College Aquila Hall

This integrated learning facility combines the STEM disciplines of geology, astronomy and chemistry into one integrated learning building.

The design team was challenged to provide adaptability to meet the needs of the science program with only two labs in the new facility. This meant that storage became paramount in providing classes with easy access to equipment. The design included extensive storage behind moveable whiteboards, allowing for efficient access to teaching materials for multiple science classes.

Inspired by these varied sciences, the design concept explores faceted geometries. These are seen in metal panel walls and canopies, floor patterns, and ceiling skylight patterns. The main entrances and patio feature metal canopies crafted from structural folds, whose planes continue in the interior to form the lobby ceiling. The folding planes of the lobby are dotted with “constellations” created with recessed lights and solatubes.

Warm, earthy interior materials and open views connect the building to the site, while the facets are reflected in the furniture and fabric selections, vinyl flooring pattern, and custom millwork pieces throughout. The unity of each facet – a mineral’s crystal structures, night sky constellations, or complex molecular form – enhances this PVCC campus star.