Designing the “new school” computer science program

Designing the “new school” computer science program

Our growth here at the Seattle campus of Northeastern University continues. In May, we celebrated our first class of graduates. Our continued growth of close to 400 students has fueled our expansion into a new space at 225 Terry, in the Terry-Thomas Building. Our expansion adds an additional 10,000 square feet of classrooms and collaboration space, just blocks from our original 401 Terry Ave N. campus. We also grew our footprint at 401 Terry Ave N. by approximately 5,000 square feet in office and meeting space.

Photos by: YE-H PHOTOGRAPHY

When looking to our new space, we wanted a design that matched our Northeastern University spirit, but also gave us lots of space for our students, staff and faculty to meet and work together. I recently spoke with Kay Kornovich, NCARB, LEED AP Managing Director, of Perkins+Will Seattle, who designed our new space and our original space at 401 Terry Ave N. to talk about the unique design features of our new campus.

Tayloe: Walk us through the new space Perkins+Will designed for Northeastern University’s Seattle Campus.

Kay: The space is hip and active, mirroring the same modern, light-filled aesthetic as the rest of the Northeastern University-Seattle campus. It has floor-to-ceiling glass, crisp white walls and modern furniture in red hues reflecting the Northeastern University brand. It sits in close proximity to the rest of campus in South Lake Union with views of the Space Needle – one of the classrooms is called the “Space Needle” room.

The entrance on the first floor is through the building’s outdoor courtyard. The new spans the entire third floor of the Terry-Thomas building – about 10,665 square feet. We renovated a former office space into three classrooms, faculty and administrative offices, a conference room (that also doubles as another classroom) and a series of informal student study areas: the “lounge,” the “living room,” and a billiard room.

Tayloe: Computer science is often a team-based practice. How does the space enable “collaborative learning?”

New Campus - 225 Terry Ave

Kay: We worked closely with Northeastern University’s Seattle team in initial planning sessions to really understand how the space would be used—by students and by faculty. One of their key goals was to create a collaborative, inviting environment that promotes interaction amongst students. We accomplished this through design features such as the use of glass in doors and windows to invite light in, to create a feeling of openness and transparency. We also incorporated various technologies that would enable the students’ collaborative process. This often involves them being huddled around a table near a writing surface and technology to allow them to present what’s on their laptops. The layout, location and size of the collaboration spaces can adapt to the needs of students.

Tayloe: What features will students and faculty like best about the space?

Kay: Students will likely appreciate the brightness, openness and transparency of the space. It is inviting and they want to be in the space. Faculty will likely appreciate the flexibility because the spaces are adaptive to the needs day-to-day or year-to-year.

Come see the new space for yourself at our New Campus Celebration on July 14th! Get more details and RSVP here: http://bit.ly/NewCampusCelebration

Tayloe: What are some of the coolest features about the space from a design perspective?

Kay: The spaces really flow from one to the next. From the moment you arrive on the third floor you can see through the courtyard into the entire space. The open lounge areas transition past subtle curves of the white walls and the floor to ceiling glass of the classrooms. The Northeastern branding and the colorful furniture really support this design concept and pull you into the space.

Tayloe: How does the space reflect NU’s commitment to sustainability?

Kay: The building itself is LEED certified, and the computer science space incorporates daylighting and natural ventilation. Material choices emphasized high-recycled content and healthy indoor air quality, and there was a focused effort on reusing materials. Closing fun fact: the reception area uses wood from Pearl Jam’s studio.

New Campus - 225 Terry Ave
Photos by: YE-H PHOTOGRAPHY

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