AIMS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Greeley, Colorado

The Welcome Center serves as the new front door and arrival point to to Aims’ Greeley campus. The Welcome Center includes admissions services, enrollment, records, testing, financial aid, cashier, advising, and the transitions center. The building also includes a auditorium and ballroom that serve as a graduation venue and gathering place that’s available to both Aims and the Northern Colorado community. The ballroom, which accommodates 800 people, is on the third floor to take advantage of Western views toward the Front Range, and includes a rooftop patio. The auditorium is flexible in its scale, and can flex from 500 occupants to 1700 by closing off seating tiers and converting flat floor meeting rooms to open balconies with collapsing tiered seating and operable partitions.

Additionally, the building includes a partially-covered courtyard area for outdoor activities which protects occupants from overexposure to sun and wind. This unique interior courtyard features a two-way stage which allows the auditorium stage to flex from the interior to the exterior.

The goal for this project was to design an iconic front door to the campus which would welcome the Aims community and new students, as well connecting the campus to the greater surrounding community. Additionally, Aims administration wanted to elevate the school’s brand and revolutionize student service delivery by making the processes enjoyable and intuitive.

AIMS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Greeley, Colorado

The Student Commons project is an addition and renovation to the existing College Center on the Aims Greeley Campus. The Student Commons serves as the heart of campus activity. The Student Commons includes a student lounge, the campus bistro, a bookstore, the learning commons, counseling services, the office of the Dean of Students, TRiO student support services, Disability Access Service (DAS), the Center for Diversity & Inclusion (CDI), and Student Activities Inclusion & Leadership (SAIL). The building also includes student program spaces for student events and organizations. Additionally, the building has an outdoor patio space for studying and lounging, as well as outdoor gathering space for events.

The design goals for this project were focused around giving the commons space “back” to the students in order to create a strong sense of activity and buzz on campus. Administration wanted to encourage students to spend more time on campus and to give them a fun and welcoming place to spend time. These goals were accomplished through several steps. A new heart to campus was created by taking the existing, two-sided building, and updating it to be four-sided, with easy access from all directions on campus. The building had previously had a “business center” feel to it, which was eliminated by relocating front door services to the new HCM-designed Welcome Center, and renovating the heart of the building to include a lounge, dining, study spaces, a coffee shop, and gaming spaces. Additionally, the learning commons was previously in an isolated location; by adding a new stair from the main entry, a seamless transition was created from the student spaces to the commons. Lastly, student presence was encouraged by increasing student organization and programming spaces both inside and outside to allow a wide variety of student-led events.

COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES

Golden, Colorado

The Colorado School of Mines Green Center in Golden, CO, was originally built in the early 1970's. HCM was contracted by the university to replace the roof, renovate the entire second floor, and replace mechanical systems to bring the building up to date. As a part of the renovations, two tiered classrooms and the existing ceilings were removed in the 1,100-seat Bunker Auditorium. By removing the classrooms, HCM was able to create a balcony in the auditorium, increasing the capacity of the house to almost 1,400 seats. As a part of the replacement of the ceiling in the auditorium, the room acoustics were improved and additional lighting positions were provided.

In addition to the Bunker Auditorium remodel, the entire second floor was reconfigured to include new office spaces for departments, faculty, and graduate students. It also included lounge and study spaces, conference rooms, and audio/visual recording studios complete with a green screen space.

HORD COPLAN MACHT

Denver, Colorado