DCCC Smith Health Sciences Center

Davidson County Community College seeks to develop minds, inspire imaginations and prepare students for enhanced career and educational opportunities within a changing global environment. Having facilities in place to advance that mission is critical to the college’s success and was a significant driver behind Little’s design of their Health Sciences Center.

The primary goal for this transformational project, in Thomasville, NC, was to consolidate all the college’s health programs, which were dispersed throughout the entire campus, into one state-of-the-art facility that would support ‘interdisciplinarity’ across all departments. The 48,794 square foot building would need to provide spaces that encourage campus life, support a philosophy that learning happens everywhere, and encourage spontaneous encounters between students and faculty.

Given its prominent location adjacent to a mature forest, the facility was designed to feel healthy and serve as a place for wellness. Daylight strategies and transparency create a warm, open and bright environment within the building, while wall-to-wall windows in all learning spaces serve as a connection between the forest to the north and back to the campus to the south.

The resulting design incorporates both classroom and lab components and features aspects that are on the cutting edge of education and technology, as well as sustainability. Along with pursuing LEED certification, the project team successfully accomplished the assignment to align the design with Davidson County Community College's campus sustainability plan, incorporate as much green space as possible, and integrate a stand-by generator for providing emergency power service.