Cuyahoga Community College

STEM Center

Parma, Ohio

Size
64,200 gsf new
24,430 gsf renovation

Services
Programming
Lab Planning
Architecture

Roles
Ellenzweig
Design Architect and Lab Planner

Weber Murphy Fox
Architect of Record

Certifications
LEED Gold

Awards
Cleveland 2030 District and USGBC Ohio Northeast Region: Green Building Challenge Winner

NAIOP Northern Ohio Chapter Award of Excellence: Education Architecture Project of the Year

NAIOP Northern Ohio Chapter Award of Excellence: Education Interior Design of Year

Designed to inspire discovery, problem-solving, and interdisciplinary collaboration, the two-story STEM Center on the western campus of Cuyahoga Community College creates a major new student-centric and sustainable learning hub for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math, and Information Technology. The building’s contemporary teaching labs and classrooms support innovative learning approaches and expand educational opportunities for students entering the burgeoning fields of science and technology.

Joined to the campus’ interconnected complex built in 1975, the STEM Center is a showcase for science and sustainability in action. A Student Commons transecting the building establishes a welcoming new campus entry that features natural light from a skylight topped with building-integrated photovoltaic panels and green walls with over 4,500 plants. A variety of adjacent study spaces invites students to linger in the building between classes. In addition to the teaching labs, the building includes an Innovation Center that provides students and faculty with interactive virtual tools for collaborative exploration, and an interdisciplinary lab that promotes problem-based learning for the exploration of research questions from multiple perspectives. Other spaces include a 50-seat lecture hall, lab support, an active-learning classroom, math classrooms, administrative suites, and changing rooms with showers

A perforated metal perimeter roof canopy that shades the upper story of the building is designed to accept building-integrated photovoltaic panels (BIPVs) that can generate 125,380 kWh/year.

The building’s simple rectangular footprint optimizes solar orientation. The right-sized modular terracotta rainscreen and glass exterior includes shading baguettes (1). Micro-louver screens on the east façade’s windows provide shading and reduce solar heat gain (2). A constructed wetland is designed as an outdoor classroom and social space that transforms into a reflective pool following heavy rains (3).

The STEM Center is 70% carbon neutral with a EUI of 71.16 kBtu/sf/yr.

North-south section, looking east

Filtered daylight from the 100-feet of skylights creates a comfortable ambiance in the Student Commons and surrounding study and interaction spaces. The Student Commons provides a place for students to linger between classes. An open stair invites students to move through the building and provides access to a variety of study, interaction, and teaching spaces on both floors.

The project adopts a sustainable design approach to storm water management, retaining 11,000 cubic feet of run-off on-site, in the event of a once per 100-year storm.  This volume of storm water is held adjacent to the building’s east plaza in a constructed wetland designed as an outdoor classroom and social space that transforms into a reflective pool following heavy rains.

The design of all labs supports hands-on, collaborative learning in contemporary environments. The modular design allows the labs to be adapted to different science programs over time.

Whether a student earns an associate degree or a workforce credential, a strong STEM background is critical to future employment. This building provides state-of-the-art resources and technology to build a foundation for success.

Alex Johnson, Former President

Cuyahoga Community College