Phoenix Life Sciences Paradise Valley Community College Architecture by Marlene Imirzian & Associates

Home » Architecture Design » Phoenix Life Sciences Paradise Valley Community College Architecture by Marlene Imirzian & Associates

Located in Phoenix, Arizona, architect Marlene Imirzian & Associates Llc, Architects has completed the new Life Science Building of the Biotechnology Program expansion project commissioned by Maricopa Community College District. The new Life Science Building provides new instructional space, housing the college’s Anatomy, Physiology, General Biology, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Marine Biology and Environmental Biology Programs.

Develop a catalyst for innovation through collaboration. The series of eight exterior collaboration pods located under the Big Porch roof provide welcoming, informal gathering spaces. The various sized pods incorporate power, data, lights, marker boards, fans and furniture to create highly functional spaces that overlook a future campus green.

Each collaboration pod is a different size and proportion and features a bridged connection back to the building. By presenting the pods along the main façade, the Life Sciences Building proudly presents its dedication to interaction and collaboration as a primary value of the sciences

Respond to the context of the site. It is of great necessity that the new Life Sciences building respond to the extreme temperatures and intense heat of the desert sun. The large “porch” roof shades the glazing and exterior spaces below reducing the temperature and making the exterior spaces usable for most of the year. The design team also sought to express the beauty and diversity of the Sonoran Desert.

A learning Sonoran Desert xeriscape supports the Life Science program. Furthermore, water is scarce. That is why it was important during the design process to celebrate the seasonal monsoons that provide a majority of the desert’s water for the year. The canted roof and rainwater collection system’s design honors these infrequent storms. Playful, oversized downspouts activate when it rains.

The carefully designed slots along the downspout act as a measuring device, indicating the duration and intensity of the ensuing rains. Water then runs down the exterior of the downspout where it lands above underground cisterns. The rainwater slowly percolates into the ground water, which helps enrich nearby soil rather than diverting it to the city sewer.

Photography by Bill Timmerman

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