Faced with outdated facilities and the demands of a growing program, Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) renovated the former Garfield Book Company building for its School of Nursing. The building is located adjacent to the main campus and creates a state-of-the-art Nursing Skill and Simulation Center. The new PLU School of Nursing Clinical Learning and Simulation Center is the flagship of PLU’s rapidly growing nursing program. The facility is designed to replicate hospital spaces and equipment, providing a realistic clinical environment for the School of Nursing undergraduate and graduate students.

Prior to the renovation, the building included approximately 15,500 SF of space on two floors. Of this area, approximately 13,400 SF was remodeled (excluding the building support spaces and storage mezzanine). The second floor was extended approximately 1,200 SF into the existing two-story atrium space, creating a total work area of 14,600 SF. The facility features a 16-bed inpatient clinical laboratory with adjacent support space, two simulation labs with camera-assisted debrief rooms for advanced practice care, large and medium capacity classrooms, shared staff offices, and common areas.

This is a new two-story building for Dental Hygiene and Veterinary Technology whose space requirements have grown and exceeded the capacity within their existing space for effective and meaningful program delivery. Most importantly, spatial expansion is crucial to meet the updated programmatic and accreditation requirements. The project also addressed site improvements: improving accessibility in parking lots, restoring the native Garry Oak tree ecosystem, and creating safer pedestrian pathways for students while connecting the network to the adjacent Waughop Lake for the community.

The new approximately 36,000 SF building houses Veterinary Technology on level one and Dental Hygiene on level two. The veterinary space has expanded lab spaces and animal facilities to provide high-quality education and training for the Veterinary Technology program. The animals have appropriately sized and healthy living spaces. The Dental Hygiene Clinic has an efficient, professional, and safe layout to provide services to the community and training for the students.

The Automotive Education and Training Center houses educational programs that relate to all aspects of motor vehicle service from engine maintenance to auto body repair. The building design includes technical labs for engine rebuild, chassis and transmission repair; finish labs for auto body refinish and upholstery; classrooms, storage, and offices associated with each lab; conference rooms; and administrative offices.

The building form expresses both the machined qualities of an automobile’s technical components as well as the smooth linear and refined quality of the skin and its finishes. The separate “Auto Tech” and “Auto Finish” wings of the building enclose an outdoor Auto Display Courtyard where completed projects will be presented. A conical Display Pavilion building located in the courtyard serves as the gateway to the facility for visitors.

The Aviation program is one of Green River College’s most vital and in demand technical programs, giving students real-world education in aviation fields. Its CTI program is one of only 36 institutions in the US selected by the FAA for its Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative Program. The Aviation program and the programs were previously housed in the downtown Auburn leased facility.

This new 30,758 sf facility co-located the Aviation programs and the downtown Auburn Center in support of GRC’s mission to ensure student success through comprehensive educational programs and support services responsive to our diverse communities. The New Auburn Center also includes the Small Business Assistance Center (SBAC), Washington Environment Training Center (WETRC), and offices for Washington Certification Services (WCS).

Consolidating these programs maximized resources through shared classrooms and shared faculty/staff and student spaces. Student Affairs is also co-located in this building as a resource for Aviation students, and provides support for ABE and Gen Ed students that also utilize this facility.

The new Integrated Education Center combines classroom and lab space for the Health Care Programs, Adult Basic Education, and ESL programs as well as a supporting faculty suite. The integration of Health Care Programs and Basic Skills provides a distinct opportunity to represent the linkages between these two instructional areas and provide an environment for academic professional transitions and relationships. The IEC will provide an atmosphere that is welcoming, conducive to learning in many modes, and a desirable place to engage students.

The project incorporates several sustainable features including generous amounts of controlled daylight, low flow fixtures, and many materials that are recycled, rapidly renewable, and will contribute to making better use of natural resources. Flexibility is addressed through the use of a regular structural module, a variety of space sizes and types, and the use of technology and furniture in progressive ways that capitalize on mobility and adaptability. The goal is to create a learning-centered community within the new building that influences other buildings and areas of campus.

The University of Washington School of Nursing expanded its Nursing Simulation Lab, increasing the lab’s previous size of 2,500 SF to approximately 10,000 SF. The expanded lab provides state-of-the-art simulation technology to improve and advance nursing education and skills training. The goal of this project was to meet the most immediate program and capacity demands with active learning environments that enable and enhance the teaching pedagogies of the future.