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Education Facilities
Natural light and education facilities go hand-in-hand. Numerous studies have shown the benefit that access to daylight can have on student attentiveness and performance, teacher and staff wellbeing, and energy savings.
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Collin College Technical Campus
UniQuad® helps bring light to a variety of learning spaces.
Classrooms and training areas are transformed with natural light.
Project Background
When Collin College, located in Allen, Texas, decided to provide a more focused technical education program – and offer more opportunities for corporate training and partnerships – they enlisted the help of renowned architecture firm Perkins&Will. The result is a future-ready building that addresses the needs of todays students while providing flexibility to adapt to changes in technology and employer needs.
The new Collin College Technical Center (CCTC) is home to classroom spaces, science labs, early college and high school programs, student services areas, learning commons, dining, collaboration zones, and a conference center. The campus buildings are focused around a central building that acts as a “spine”, with buildings dedicated to specific trades and career concentrations running perpendicular to the main building.
Making an Impact
Daylighting systems don't have to simply be functional - they can also be beautiful.
UniQuad® translucent wall systems are a great way to transform spaces, as large sections of panels provide soft natural light as well as visual impact - all while still preserving a sense of privacy.
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Design Concepts
In an article for Metal Architecture, Andrew Metter, FAIA, design principal at Perkins&Will, stated that “The design concept sought to develop a building that would operate as an educational village in service to an environment that fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration.”
Another design goal was the inclusion of natural light, but carefully designed to provide the well-being benefits for students while still controlling solar heat gain, which can create issues and excessive loads for HVAC systems. While the building orientation was set to minimize impact, translucent glazing was also used to control natural light. Large sections of UniQuad® translucent wall systems were used in learning and gathering spaces to provide diffuse daylighting without excessive solar heat gain and glare. The aesthetics of the UniQuad® system, with its long uninterrupted panel lengths and minimal exposed framing and fasteners, also lends itself to the clean and modern design goals of the facility.
Kingspan Light + Air was proud to be a part of this unique education facility. To learn more about UniQuad® systems, and see other wall system applications, click here.
Designed for Occupants
Translucent systems are a great choice for classrooms and study areas.
UniQuad® diffuses natural light and eliminates hot-spots caused by direct sunlight penetration, allowing building occupants to feel more comfortable and easing HVAC loads.
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Awards and Sources
Project Awards:
- Design Award - Texas Society of Architects, 2022
- Honor Award - AIA Dallas, 2021
- Design, Community, Planning, Transformation Stars of Distinction - TASA | TASB Exhibit of School Architecture Awards, 2022
- Best Specialty Construction - ENR Texas & Louisiana, 2021
- Best Real Estate Deals: Education Category - Dallas Business Journal
Sources:
https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/collin-college-next-generation-campus
https://perkinswill.com/project/collin-college-technical-campus/
Related Articles + Case Studies
Select daylighting design information and project spotlights related to education facilities.
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Daylighting in Education and Sports Facilities
Examining the benefits of properly designed daylighting and the positive impact natural light can play in these types of spaces.
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Grover Cleveland Charter School
Multiple daylighting strategies help reinvigorate a 1960s school.
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Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School
A mixed glazed system of FRP and glass allows for a combination of ventilation and glare control while also preserving the pleasant views of the school’s courtyard and surrounding landscape.
Contact Us
If you have questions about our products, need technical or design assistance or simply want to find out if your project's daylighting design is feasible and budget-friendly, contact us via the link below.
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UniQuad®
UniQuad® translucent polycarbonate wall systems provide both excellent thermal performance and soft, diffuse natural light.
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UniQuad® Window
Unitized modular version of our custom UniQuad systems, optimized for small openings like clerestory applications.
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QuadSpan™ Polycarbonate Skylights
QuadSpan™ two panel custom translucent skylights diffuse sunlight and provide excellent thermal performance.
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PentaClad™
PentaClad™ systems offer an effective solution for enclosing non-conditioned spaces.