Spring 2001

Volume 3 Number 2
A publication of Macon State College

Making A Statement

MSC Continues Campus Expansion With High-Tech Professional Sciences Building

By Sheron Smith

From an architectural standpoint, Macon State College's new 75,000-square-foot Student Life Center is a tough act to follow.

But college officials expect to break ground this fall on a state-of-the-art academic facility - designed by the world-renowned John Portman & Associates architectural firm - that just might steal the show.

The building - yet to be formally named but called the Nursing, Health Sciences and Outreach Complex for now - will reflect innovative, new century ways of serving Central Georgia's higher education needs, according to President David A. Bell.

"Part of our mission at Macon State College is to lead the way in this new era of higher education, an era that's very much influenced by information technology," Bell said. "Knowledge is being created and disseminated faster than ever before, and a commitment to lifelong learning is essential for people who want to stay competitive. We've had the opportunity to design the next evolution of Macon State with that in mind. We want to present the college as a place that has an exciting, vibrant learning environment, and we believe this building helps us make that statement.""

The Georgia General Assembly funded the 80,000-square-foot, three-story complex this year after it reached the top spot on the University System's Board of Regents' priority list for capital projects. Bell expects the $16.2 million facility to open in fall 2003.

The center is actually Phase I of what over the next six to seven years will evolve into a 175,000-square-foot academic and executive conference complex built along Macon State's campus lake.

Two Phases

A drawing of the Nursing, Health Sciences & Outreach Complex, designed by John Portman & Associates of Atlanta.

Phase I, featuring state-of-the-art laboratories for various academic disciplines, will house Macon State's nursing, health information management, health services administration, respiratory therapy, natural sciences and math programs. In addition, Phase I will provide space for Macon State to host a greater number and variety of graduate degree programs administered by other University System institutions.

A bit further down the road, Phase II, now No. 7 on the Regents' priority list with a $20 million price tag, will house Macon State's divisions of Business Administration and Information Technology. Phase II will also serve as a high-tech conference facility for Macon State's business partnerships and visiting education groups. To get ideas for the technological design of Phase II, Dr. Mike Staman, faculty adviser to Bell for technology, is researching how schools such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) built high-tech conference centers.

John Portman & Associates, based in Atlanta, is a leading architectural firm recognized worldwide for its distinctive work in mixed-use urban complexes, hospitality and collegiate campus environments. In one recent high-profile international project, Portman designed the Indian School of Business, a 250-acre campus near Hyderabad, one of India's emerging high-tech centers.

Closer to home, Portman designed many of the buildings that make up Atlanta's skyline, including SunTrust Plaza, the Westin Peachtree Plaza and the Atlanta Apparel Mart.

Portman's exterior architectural drawings of Macon State's professional sciences center, Phase I, show an interesting horizontal design for the facility to be built along the south side of the lake. The building will run on an east and west axis, with two wings of offices and academic spaces divided by a visually open atrium.

The glass-topped atrium is one of the defining features of the building. Another is the curved or - to use the architectural term - "barrel-vaulted" roof.

"That curvature gives the building a very different look," said Walter Miller, vice president at Portman and a specialist in master planning and building design for colleges and universities. "It's a very progressive building - simple, but bold."

Academic Village

The center's interior features are also state-of-the-art. Labs for the professional and natural sciences include all the latest technology, such as computer simulation and modeling capabilities. The center will be completely wired for information technology and distance learning, allowing, for example, nursing students to watch a surgical procedure as it takes place at a medical facility anywhere in the country. One clinical lab for the nursing degree program will be set up as a modern 10-bed "patient" unit where students can practice. Students will have computer access virtually everywhere in the building, including the lounge areas.

"Students are going to enjoy the design of this building," said Bob Woodhurst of The Woodhurst Partnership in Augusta, the firm providing overall project management. "It will have a nice, multilevel lobby somewhat like the Student Life Center with what we call a 'window wall' looking toward the lake. It's going to be much lighter and airier than the image people generally have of lab facilities."

As part of Macon State College's ongoing Botanical Gardens project, a lakeside walking path lined with a variety of plants and trees will link the Student Life Center with the new complex.

"We're creating a modern academic village around the lake," Bell said, "and it's going to be beautiful."