Confronting growing enrollment, the College’s desire to strengthen STEM-based areas of study, and Cartersville’s goal to open on-site chemistry and microbiology laboratories, Georgia Highlands College embarked on the development of a new academic building. The new facility provides such accommodations as a well-equipped lecture hall, state-of-the-art chemistry and microbiology laboratories and computer classrooms. To encourage science students to be stimulated by the arts there are also art classrooms to “cross pollinate” the disciplines.

The design responds directly to the College’s request for efficient, cost-effective facilities to support current degree programs. It includes flexible laboratories and associated support spaces, nearly tripling the laboratory space on compass. To maximize efficiency, the building incorporates flexible modules so it can accept a combination of classrooms, laboratories and laboratory support spaces within each structural bay, optimizing the efficiency of structural and environmental systems, and finishes were selected to be durable, easily maintained and appropriate to the environments where they are used.