Beautiful Blog

December 16, 2019

A ribbon cutting ceremony was recently held to celebrate the opening of the Community College of Allegheny County’s new Collaboration and Innovation Classroom located at CCAC’s South Campus in West Mifflin. HDG provided architectural services for the renovation, that was driven by the college’s desire to turn a dated lecture hall into an interactive and collaborative space.

In the newly renovated space, students are no longer sitting in rows facing the front of the classroom. Instead, the new furniture layout conceptualized by the college and brought to life by Corbett, Inc. with KI furniture, turns students so that they are facing each other, but still have ample visibility of the instructor. Monitors provided throughout the room create an interactive learning space with technology to allow students to screen mirror their own devices.

To accommodate the furniture design which included horizontal and vertical whiteboard surfaces, the existing narrow tiers of seating were combined to create larger platforms with integral power. In addition to providing a space that allows for an innovative approach to teaching, the modernized classroom provides ADA accessibility that was not possible with the previous layout.  An existing platform at the front of the room was removed to provide space for ADA accessible seating for students and an accessible teaching space. New LED lighting, sleek finishes and bright, modern colors round out the design to help spark creativity for students using the space.

Photos from the December 6th Ribbon Cutting:

Before and After:

For more information about what into the design of this project, see: https://www.hayesdesign.com/portfolio-item/ccac-southcampus-classroom-renovations/