Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Biola University: The Alton and Lydia Lim Center for Science, Technology and Health

  • 06/01/18
Biola University

PHOTOS © GENSLER / RYAN GOBUTY

Facing strong growth in all of its health and science programs, historically liberal arts-focused Biola University in La Mirada, CA, launched its largest capital improvement project to date—the Alton and Lydia Lim Center for Science, Technology and Health—a single building, creatively planned to leverage limited physical and financial resources, to house multiple undergraduate programs under one roof.

With the goal of successfully combining a varied set of users into the 91,000-square-foot science building, the Gensler design team partnered with university facilities leadership to conduct an extensive programming phase to ensure the right mix was achieved and the goals and aspirations of each would be met. Through this user engagement and a high-performance focused design a unique synergy was achieved, creating new learning opportunities and encouraging the cross-disciplinary interaction and exchange of ideas. Breakout areas, hallways, and conference rooms emulate the desirable amenities found in co-working spaces. Students in healthcare trajectories mingle with computer science majors and those in biological research and the physical sciences.

To meet site and budget constraints, Gensler developed a highly efficient four-story plan that reduced costs and allowed for greater flexibility and future reconfiguration through modular lab spaces. Bespoke teaching laboratories ring the perimeter while research labs with extensive glazing occupy the core, visually connected to vibrant collaboration areas and circulation. The objective was to enhance interest and thus interaction by making visible the widest possible range of study within the various programs. In contrast, a few special labs provide a totally immersive experience, transporting students into a clinical environment. A multi-bay human anatomy suite balances respectful concealment with generous daylighting. An expansive nursing lab is the pride of the nursing program, providing immersion through both the architecture of the space and state-of-the-art simulation mannequins. Finally, classrooms in the new facility are sized and configured to enable faculty to test emerging models of active learning.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management June 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • Countway Library at Harvard Medical School

    From Shadows to Sanctuary: The Transformation of Light at Countway Library

    The renovation of Countway Library at Harvard Medical School demonstrates how biophilic design and advanced lighting strategies transformed a formerly dark, insular space into a vibrant, welcoming hub that supports wellness, learning, and community engagement.

  • UT System Board of Regents Approves $108M Housing Complex

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently announced the approval of a new, $108-million housing complex at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), according to a news release. The facility will stand four stories and have a total of 456 new beds for freshmen students.