Central Oregon Community College Health Careers Center

Client
Central Oregon Community College

Location
Bend, Oregon

Typology
Education, Healthcare

Located on a prominent, steeply-sloping site, the Health Careers Center consolidated health careers-related programs from throughout the COCC campus into one signature facility, providing up-to-date classrooms and labs, and serving as a bridge linking the upper and lower campus and the College to the Bend community. The building works with the natural topography to provide a much-needed ADA accessible link connecting the college’s new lower campus area with the older upper campus. The building is sensitively sited to create on-grade entries on both its first and second floors, joining via its interior circulation the uphill portion of its site with the lower elevations beyond.

In addition to providing educational and office spaces for the college, the Center also offers recurring dental and massage therapy clinics to the larger community. To embrace this dual role, the layout of the building is designed to be welcoming and intuitive to both frequent users and first-time visitors.  A large, two-story lobby is located at the center of the facility overlooking the many ponderosa pines preserved on site. This active and flexible space serves both as the heart of the building and as a reception/waiting area during clinic days. Wood is showcased throughout the facility on both the exterior and interior, with the building’s overall material palette drawing from and harmonizing with the campus context, both built and natural.