Umpqua Health & Science Building
Southwestern Oregon Community College
As the leading provider of job training on Oregon’s south coast, SWOCC’s Umpqua Health & Science Building will serve the community’s urgent need for healthcare professionals. With renovated spaces to support the nursing and EMT programs and an addition to provide science labs and teaching spaces for chemistry, biology, physics, and geology courses, the project will help attract top-notch faculty and engage students through modern, technology-rich simulation labs and classrooms.
Size: 36,200 sf
Location: Coos Bay, OR
Associate Architect: HGE Inc.
Awards:
2021, DJC TopProjects, Secondary Education
The Umpqua Health & Science Building sets a new standard for innovative, locally sourced materials in its use of Oregon cross-laminated timber (CLT). Maximizing a limited budget, the integrated design team sought solutions that provided multiple benefits, including CLT that provides a warm finish without ceilings.
The once-dark and neglected existing facility now features a daylit stairway and core with three generous skylights. Floor openings connect spaces vertically, allowing for natural light to flood classrooms, corridors and offices below.
The building sets an important sustainability metric for the campus. The project is set to perform 70% better than contemporary buildings of similar scale and use. The building is passively heated and ventilated using an efficient and comfortable radiant floor system throughout. Windows connect to the building’s direct digital control system and are set to ventilate the space when necessary and to flush the building during the night. The cross-laminated system is highly sustainable, derived from local forests and offering a significantly reduced embodied carbon footprint than typical construction materials such as steel or concrete. A 56kWh solar array system is planned atop the existing facility, providing a long-lasting and renewable energy source for the campus.
