Oakland Community College

Narratives

Project Narrative

The addition expands the Nursing and Allied Health programs, while unifying all campus science programs into a state-of-the-art facility. The addition, the first of two new buildings in the heart of the campus, leads the revitalization of the campus while accommodating the increasing local community medical needs.

The 39,200 square-foot addition provides instructional space for the dental program, a dental clinic, and additional space for the Nursing and Physician’s Assistant programs including three general purpose classrooms, four nursing lab suites with two private clinic rooms, a nursing station and a simulation lab. The 16-seat dental clinic serves the community and houses support prep areas, locker rooms and lounge space, classrooms, model labs and five x-ray rooms.

Linked to the original building by a two-story atrium, the addition connects new to existing instructional spaces and facilitates campus circulation by enclosing an existing campus pathway. The building’s transparency addresses campus security concerns by heightening student and visitor awareness of their surroundings within a comfortable light-filled space. A centralized student lounge and gathering space encourages interaction and presents visual connections to other campus facilities, providing a stimulating space for students that becomes the hub of pedestrian traffic on campus.

Environmental considerations, addressed in the addition’s design and construction, include minimizing the solar impact on the building while allowing for natural daylighting. The siting and orientation of the building, the incorporation of sunscreen shading devices, and use of low-e, insulated glazing minimize the solar impact. Utilizing recycled finishes, a building management system and a storm water runoff system also improve the environmental concerns. The brick-clad south facade’s punch-through windows and metal sunshades reduce heat gain in summer months. The white metal and glass-clad north facade allows light to penetrate the east-west corridor. This corridor preserves a primary campus pathway, while maintaining the view and easing pedestrian travel in cold winter months and warm summer months.

A dramatic site slope (approximately 10′-10′’), the location of the building in the center of campus, and connecting to a classroom building nearly 30 years old created design challenges. The design team’s solution of providing a dynamic, multi-level student gathering space that conforms to the site’s natural slope and integrating existing campus circulation paths has enhanced the student experience and provided much-needed space to the College’s burgeoning science programs.

Educator Narrative

This Community College has one of the largest Nursing programs in the state of Michigan with an admission of 216 students each Fall. All students must practice in our Nursing Skills lab each week.

Our goal is to provide the best possible education for each of our nursing students. This involves providing the latest information and most up-to-date technology available to prepare our graduates for employment in a variety of healthcare agencies.

It has been a challenge to accomplish our goal as a result of limited space in our Nursing labs. As enrollment increased we tried to make do with converting available space into labs where we could place beds and equipment for student practice. We had to be creative in developing schedules and finding available classrooms for the didactic portions of our nursing skills content.

In 2005, we were given the opportunity to present a wish list for a new state of the art nursing lab in a soon to be constructed building. Needless to say, we asked for every conceivable possibility. The wish list was then evaluated by the architects and formulated into plausible plans, taking into account costs and square footage constraints.

We were able to take the initial plans and adjust and readjust them to create a practical and usable space. What was initially one large lab was modified into 4 separate yet connected pods. This was necessary to reduce noise volume for the 54 students who were in the lab at one time. We were able to take some of the initial space and convert it into 2 exam rooms to create space for a future on-campus health clinic.

To allow us to take advantage of available technology we wanted the ability to show video clips while students practiced. We were able to have the lab designed so that ceiling mounted plasma TV screens were visible to all students concurrently practicing at the 25 beds in the lab. A work station area was provided so that we could display videos, CDs, PowerPoint presentations as well as overhead speakers strategically placed to permit clearly audible sound at each bedside.

Adjacent to our new lab, we have a classroom with the latest technology. We are able to project content from the computer, DVD and video equipment. Now students can have didactic presentations of content and immediately go to the bedside to practice their skills. We now have a ratio of 1 - 2 students to a bed area where in the past we had up to 4. This lower ratio means more practice time for each student.

Thanks to the architects who were so willing to listen and be creative in the use of space we now have a Nursing Skills Lab that truly meets the needs of our Nursing students and the ability to have the best education that the Community College has to offer.