Centralia College Science Building
Centralia, WA
The new 70,000-sf Science Center at Centralia College was conceived in exterior masonry construction. The building houses the nursing department, science laboratories, classrooms, a 100-seat tiered auditorium, and offices. Brick masonry integrates two structural systems and gives the building a sense of weight and permanence. Brick helped in reaching the sustainable goal: LEED Gold. A special circumstance in the design, requiring the selection of brick masonry, is the elliptical-shaped 100-seat auditorium, which required a standard 2½ x 8” brick to accommodate the compound radiuses of the shape. Elsewhere, a Norman-sized brick was used. A single-color clay brick with contrasting rough and matte finishes creates the banding effect – a motif previously established to tie campus buildings together.