The newly built 6,875 m2 (74,000 sq. ft.) The Gale Lemerand Student Center at Daytona State College in Daytona Beach, Fla., uses stone and bronze in various facade applications to create a distinct look for the college as well as shelter from the intense sun of Florida and achieve sustainable energy results. .
Designed by ikon.5 architects, the center establishes a notable presence on campus along International Speedway Boulevard that connects the road’s famous waterfront to the rest of Florida. Solving a campus planning dilemma of ubiquitous parking lots and background buildings facing the public thoroughfare, an organically curved stone and bronze wall now faces the boulevard, embracing visitors like two outstretched arms creating a landscaped welcome lawn and defining a clear point of entry to the campus.
The center is sustainably designed as a high performance Green Globe certified facility. Custom bronze perforated solar screens are covered by large glazed areas on the south and west facades to limit heat gain and glare while allowing views to the outside. A vented bronze rain screen on the portal tower reduces heat gain in the harsh Florida sun.
From the center of the gently curving center wall rises an iconic bronze and stone portal that frames the opening to the student center and gives way to the campus quadrangle beyond. Inside, a three-story common overlooks the quadrangle and serves as the campus living room. The dining hall, a cafeteria, a games room and group study rooms are the commons of the student center.
An amphitheater on the second and third floors overhangs the commons and overlooks the campus quadrangle. The amphitheater provides a theatrical experience that gives students the ability to see and be seen, thus reinforcing a sense of community and belonging.
The following have been the collaborators of the project:
Structural Engineer, BBM Structural Engineers, Inc.; civil engineer, Parker Mychenberg & Associates, Inc.; Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing/Fire Protection Engineer (MEP/FP), OCI Associates – Maitland, FL; landscape architect, Prosser; lighting designer, S+S Lighting Design; Summit, audiovisual(AV)/IT/security, TLC Engineering for Architecture; and, contractor: Perry-McCall Construction, Inc.
