This new Student Success Center for Tri-County Technical College centralizes primary student services under one roof. The top floor houses a modern learning commons with open and enclosed group study spaces, an active learning classroom, tutoring center, and a three-story vertical book storage unit which allows for a flexible floor plate. The space also features a central hub with floor-to-ceiling glazing which frames sweeping views of the campus to the south and a forest view to the north. The view welcomes students using built-in seating compartments or open, flexible seating areas for quiet study. Dynamic flooring aids wayfinding and delineates space throughout the building.

The plaza level provides both fuel and respite with a state-of-the-art dining facility and grill serving everything from a soup, salad, and deli meals to custom-made pizzas. Indoors and out, a wide variety of seating options welcome group and individual study throughout the day. The ground level, where many students enter the campus from parking areas, offers front-door service areas for IT, the print shop, the bookstore, and Student Development Services. Ground floor utilities include a new central energy plant serving the entire campus, a service dock for shipping and receiving, and a commercial kitchen to support dining services.

The three-story, 72,000 SF building nestles into the steep campus landscape, merging seamlessly with the campus environment while framing outdoor views and maximizing natural light. The resulting space is both efficient and inspiring, and supports TCTC’s ultimate goals of improving student retention, ease of matriculation, and overall student success. Student input informed the design process at all stages, resulting in a building which is transparent and welcoming. The building incorporates a number of sustainable design strategies, and achieved Two Green Globes Certification.

RECOGNITIONS: Two Green Globes Certification; IIDA Carolinas Flooring Installations Winner; Shaw Contract Design Awards; ASHRAE Chapter Technology Award in New Education Facilities David Willingham Charleston Chapter