The South Campus Academic Building began with a program confirmation and refinement of an existing predesign, ultimately leading to this new 44,557 SF building nestled in the center of its South Campus. The $9.6 million facility houses Biotechnology, Home and Family Life, a new Library, general classrooms, computer labs, Student Commons, and a Distance Education/Meeting Center. As the only building to house non-technical instructional space, the building provides shared academic services to students from all programs on the South Campus.
The design of the building takes cues from the architectural expression on all three of Bates’ Tacoma campuses and defines a unifying aesthetic that will serve the College well into the future. A new pedestrian “spine” passes thru the new building and welcomes students from the north and south parts of the campus. A landscaped plaza was created as an outdoor gathering area near the Meeting Center.
