Add as a preferred source on Google

Spartanburg Community College

Evans Academic Center

  • 02/01/14

Spartanburg Community CollegeSpartanburg Community College dedicated the three-story Evans Academic Center (EAC) last year in the heart of Spartanburg, SC. This 104,000-square-foot satellite in the three-county network of campuses brought the total enrollment up to 6,000 students and reaches a previously underserved area that lacked adequate pubic transportation to and from the distant main campus.

A $9.3-million historic restoration and modernization guided by USGBC LEED Silver criteria ensued immediately after the building’s procurement for the college in 2009. The project rebuilt most of the interior, with spatial subdivisions for classrooms, labs, offices, a bookstore, study areas and conference rooms. The state-of-the-art classrooms and labs are suited to the larger scale, maximum flexibility and technologies sought for today’s more open, group interactive learning environments. An auditorium and gymnasium that were still intact underwent complete refinish and seating upgrades for as yet undefined college and possible community use.

The 1922-vintage building served as a high school and junior high until 1978 when the county acquired it for conversion into government offices. Low-budget modifications and energy-inefficient HVAC led to a nearly total interior demolition/rebuild and operating system replacements. The historic restoration led the repair or replication of many features, architectural elements, materials and finishes. Although the exterior was still structurally sound, the existing replacement windows lacked the original character and were therefore replaced with energy-efficient, custom-manufactured units.

In addition to the college areas, the restoration created significant collaborative space for the local school district’s startup of an early-college program. A government-funded partner-tenant agency also operates a job placement program from the building and benefits from access to the college’s vocational and certification training programs for entry-level healthcare, emergency first responders, IT and related office skills, mechatronics and other talents needed in the region’s manufacturing renaissance.

McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture led the project from feasibility study through final design. H.G.Reynolds, Aiken, SC, served as the general contractor.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Different Starting Points, Same End Goal

    Higher education campuses can enhance student experience by implementing mobile credentials to streamline building access, on-campus payments, and access to other amenities. This enables students to connect to their campuses through the technology they use most: their mobile devices.

  • textured paper collage shows a school building on fire as a fire truck sprays water into the flames

    Why a Fire Loss Is More than Flames

    We've all seen what fire damage can do to a property, but the types of damage building owners often encounter after a fire loss can exceed expectations. Having full awareness of the different forms of damage properties can sustain helps owners respond faster, reduce continued damage, and get back on the road to recovery in short order.

  • Three U.S. Universities Install Acre Security Access Control Platform

    Cloud-native physical and digital security solutions company Acre Security recently announced that it has deployed its access control platform at three major universities in the U.S., according to a news release. Acre partnered with Atrium Campus to provide coverage for more than 69,000 students at the University of Virginia (UVA), George Mason University, and Rockhurst University.

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.

Digital Edition