Higher Education
Eastern Shore Community College: Academic & Administration Building.
Melfa, Virginia
Eastern Shore Community College’s new Academic & Administration Building contains a learning resource center, student services center, student lounge, bookstore, administrative offices, science labs, and additional classroom space. The Learning Resource Center includes a learning commons area with dedicated computer kiosks for student research and studying, a lounge area for casual student interaction and group study, a media production facility, and a traditional print media stack array. The Student Services Center is conceived as a one-stop “shopping mall” for student services. A reception/help desk is located within the front waiting area and helps guide students to financial aid, tuition, tutoring, career counseling, veterans assistance, admissions, registrar’s office, success coaches, WIA case managing, and a placement/secure testing facility. Students will no longer have to roam across campus to conduct their business and get the help that they need.
The RRMM design team spent four days on campus interviewing administration, faculty, and staff to put together a list of the total number and size of the facilities desired for the new building. The interviews also determined which spaces needed immediate adjacency, casual adjacency, and just as important, which spaces need maximum separation. This programming experience was important as it increased the functionality and efficiency of the Academic & Administration Building.
