Trustees of Daytona State College desired to create a new student center that would transform the College’s appearance to the community and better represent its mission to advance economic development in Florida. The existing campus turned its back on Daytona with internally accessed buildings surrounded by parking lots set between the public road and the campus. To meet this aspiration, the design team conceived of the student center as a gateway portal between the community of Daytona Beach and the campus emphasizing transpency and openness. Like coral stone along the Floridian shoreline, an organically curving coral stone and bronze wall embraces the visitor entry to campus. Rising from its center is a bronze portal that frames the opening to the student center and campus beyond.
This new student center is a threshold gateway between Daytona Beach and the campus. To allow open access to the center of campus, a portion of the curving stone wall cantilevers above grade to allow students and staff to pass unimpeded from parking to the campus quad and creates a landscape welcome in front of the center. This composition of elements and regional materials establishes an iconic presence to the campus along the main arterial road connecting the famed Daytona beachfront with the rest of Florida and expresses an openness and welcome to the community. The new welcome lawn and internal commons spatially connects to the existing campus quadrangle.
The center is designed as a high-performance sustainable facility. It is a two green globe certified building. The sustainable design approach is integrated into the concept campus planning solution. Custom bronze perforated solar screens are veiled over large, glazed areas of the south and west facades to limit heat gain and glare while allowing views outward. A ventilated bronze rain screen at the portal tower reduces heat gain in the harsh Florida sun. Other sustainable strategies include the use of pre- and post-consumer recycled materials, reclaimed rainwater, photo optic lighting, and high-efficiency heating ventilation and air conditioning systems.
The 74,000 square foot student center at Daytona State College establishes an iconic portal entry to the campus changing the front face appearance of the college and providing a central dedicated commons for this commuter-based student body. A coral stone facade embraces the visitor forming a welcome lawn at the entry. Rising from the center of the embracing wall is a bronze portal that frames the opening to the student center and giving passage to the campus quadrangle beyond. Programmatically, the center houses a commons, study rooms, café, dining, 500-person events center, student success center and the college library. A sustainable design approach is integrated into the conceptual planning solution. Custom bronze perforated solar screens are veiled over large, glazed areas of the south and west facades to limit heat gain and glare. A ventilated bronze rain screen at the portal tower reduces heat gain in the harsh Florida sun.
The student center has completely transformed our college experience by providing a new front door to our campus and a home for our students to enjoy learning every day. The student commons is a place where students meet and work together building unity and camaraderie around campus life.
ikon.5 architects' work is rooted in our belief that architecture is storytelling in built form and landscape. Architecture tells the story of the values of a particular people in their place and time. Like poetry and prose, architecture relies on metaphors to convey an expression that is timeless. Our solutions reflect the regional traditions in which we build and seek a timeless expression that eloquently reflects our client’s stories. Our work is a-stylistic, with no preordained aesthetic expression, and inspired by thoughtful, economic, and sustainable solutions that are meaningful to those who experience our buildings. Our work is united in its commitment to design excellence, social impact, and environmental responsiveness. We believe there is an opportunity for design excellence in all projects, irrespective of size and budget. Our 28-person practice draws, paints and makes artistic works to explore ideas that are rooted in the ethos and heritage of the places where we work.