Center for Technology and Learning Media II

The Computer Center is a 20,000 SF addition to the Center for Technology and Learning Media (CTLM) completed by AMD in 2001. Centralizing high technology and campus computing functions in a single location, the addition yields operational efficiencies while creating a cohesive, departmental home. Charged with creating an addition that relates to the existing building while asserting an individual identity, the project provides a seamless experience when traversing between the existing and new building while asserting a complementary exterior expression.

The Computer Center addition is shaped by a careful consideration of program spaces, existing site conditions and context, as well as long-term campus infrastructure and planning. From a program standpoint, lab, classroom, and administrative spaces are designed to maximize current and future flexibility, with raised floor access for reconfigurable power and mobile, nesting furniture solutions. The heart of the addition is a new “computer commons,” a lab space that serves as a hub and resource for students and faculty. Located on the building’s second floor, the commons has close proximity to a student lounge, garden, vending, study rooms, and meeting spaces, creating a social and collaborative nexus.

Existing and new site relationships are reinforced through entry locations, access to outdoor spaces, and reconsidered views of South Table Mountain. Perched on an east-west slope, the three-story building and addition connect at the ground level and with a bridge on the third level, reinforcing campus circulation patterns while preserving outdoor access to existing greenspaces and terraces. The building supports the concepts of the Precinct Plan, and respects future growth and evolution of the Mines campus. To achieve this, the building helps define an envisioned gateway to the campus from Arapahoe Street, creating a seamless addition to the present and evolving campus fabric.