NAPA VALLEY COLLEGE LIFE SCIENCE BUILDING
Napa, CA
The new Life Science expansion at Napa Valley College is a simple assemblage of 4 laboratories, technical support spaces, and faculty offices at the core. Though the building is small it creates a strong presence on the campus “Green” through the vertical, light-filled lobby at the center. The high roof and glassed-in hub provide a clear sense of entry, as well as a point of interaction for students and faculty. The careful articulation of the entry and lobby reinforce the building’s purpose as a destination and place of contact.
One stated goal of the campus master plan is that “new buildings should emulate the best aspects of current campus design while allowing the contemporary expression of aesthetics and values”. This goal, coupled with the desire to bring people together largely informed the project’s organization and architecture. The form, material, and detail of the new building exhibit a structural grace informed by the existing campus architecture and is intended to rest naturally in the context of the Napa Valley.
