This content was published: March 14, 2014. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Building 7 at Rock Creek opens for sneak peek
Photos and story by Karen Kane
Jeremy Brown, PCC President and Denise Frisbee, PCC Board Chair cut the ribbon for Building 7. They are joined (from left, front row) by Katherine Harrington Metro Councilor District 7, Birgitte Ryslinge Interim PCC Rock Creek President, Deanna Palm PCC Board Vice-Chair and Maricruz Gonzalez Vasquez ASPCC Rock Creek Campus Affairs Director.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Written by Karen Kane
With its weave-patterned glass facade covering the entire face of the three-story structure, Building 7 at Rock Creek is a show stopper. After removing 18,000 square-feet and reconstructing 27,000 square-feet of new space, the east-facing structure virtually sparkles. More than 200 visitors got a sneak peek through the specialized glass Monday, March 10 during a ribbon-cutting celebration and self-guided tours through the new addition. Building 7 is home to new classrooms, study areas, and the Multicultural, Student Learning, Teaching Learning and Women’s Resource centers. The remainder of the building houses science and technology classrooms and labs, as well as campus administrative and office space.
Designed by Opsis Architecture, the building features a double-paned, screen-printed, spandrel glass wall. Spandrel glass is used to create a uniform appearance on building exteriors as well as to minimize solar heat gain. The glass treatment adds visual depth as well as helps to maintain interior air temperatures, playing a role in the buildings’ path to earning a Silver LEED rating for energy efficiency and sustainability.
Further energy efficiency investments in Building 7 include wrapping the addition in a permeable vapor barrier. This protects the structure from water and air leaks and prevents the growth of mold. The barrier also allows the building’s mechanical systems to work more efficiently by preventing the loss of heated or cooled air. According to Ty Harvey, Rock Creek campus bond project manager, these and other features may earn the building a Silver rating by the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). LEED is widely known as the industry standard for green structures.
Jeremy Brown, PCC College President, addresses the more than 200 guests who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the addition the Building 7 at Rock Creek. Work on the addition began in August 2012.
This is the first major project to be completed in the $63 million, 2008 voter-approved capital construction program at Rock Creek. The Rock Creek improvements will help meet long-term educational needs of both the existing students and more than 10,000 residents anticipated as a result of the Washington County North Bethany Subarea Plan.
The addition to Building 7 was planned with extensive input from students, faculty, staff and members of the broader Rock Creek community. Campus stakeholders committed hundreds of hours of discussion about its purpose, needs and design. It also confirms the commitment that PCC made to voters when they approved the 2008 bond measure and the Guiding Principles established by Rock Creek Campus in spring 2010.
PCC Rock Creek accommodates almost 26,000 students annually; enrollment has grown by more 38 percent in the last five years.
The Multicultural Center was in full operation during the opening. Visitors were able to experience how students use the center while they toured the meeting rooms, offices, study areas and gathering spaces. The new addition also houses the Student Learning, Teaching Learning and Women’s Resource centers.
View more photos from the opening.
PCC’S 2008 voter-approved $374 million bond program is increasing opportunities for residents to access quality, affordable higher education close to where they live and work. Additional classrooms, updated equipment and technology, and advanced workforce training programs are helping to pave the way for future employment options. For more information, visit the bond website
About Karen Kane
Karen Kane is the Community Relations Manager for the Sylvania Campus. A passionate storyteller and communicator, Karen has told the stories for several organizations in Portland, including the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and the ... more »