Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Arizona Community College Readies New Science Complex

  • By Matt Jones
  • 08/18/22

Construction is complete on a $13.6-million Science Complex at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Ariz., according to a recent press release. The complex includes the total renovation of two existing buildings and new construction of a 19,000-square-foot Physical and Life Science Building. The new facility will open its doors to students for STEM classes and laboratory sessions during spring 2023.

The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies for the project’s construction and architecture firm Gensler for its design. Builders used the structurally sound skeletons of two existing buildings to minimize the budget and speed up the project’s completion time. New structural connections join the two existing buildings, and including the new construction, the total complex covers about 34,000 square feet.

SMCC Science Complex
Photo courtesy of McCarthy Building Companies

“Our students deserve a space to pursue their dreams of becoming engineers, scientists and medical professionals,” said Dr. Shari Olson, SMCC President. “The community in South Phoenix needed this new facility, and we’re bringing it to them with the latest technology and labs to help students pursue their desired careers.”

The new complex features amenities like science labs, lab support space, a cadaver lab, informal learning spaces and faculty offices, according to the news release. The complex will integrate a “forward-thinking” floorplan and a modern look for its lab support areas and creative learning spaces, as well as integrating state-of-the-art technology into classrooms and labs.

“McCarthy values STEM education programs, and having the opportunity to be a part of making this project a reality in South Phoenix is something we’re all very proud of,” said Mike Gonzalez, McCarthy Building Companies Education Group Vice President. “Thanks to the extensive collaboration with SMCC and its program end-users, the designer and our trade partners, we found solutions to challenges, and this remarkable new Science Complex is being delivered earlier than planned to help more SMCC students pursue their dreams.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.

  • Colorado School District Breaks Ground on Unified PK–12 Campus

    The Haxtun School District No. Re-2J in Haxtun, Colo., recently announced that ground has been broken on a renovation/addition project that will unite its two schools, Haxtun Elementary and Haxtun Jr/Sr High School, according to a news release.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.