The Central Piedmont Community College Parr Center is a hub of activity—designed to connect students to campus resources and one another.
As the largest community college in the area, Central Piedmont endeavored to expand on-campus amenities, giving students the same resources found at a four-year institution. Balancing the brick-clad exterior with a transparent glass façade activates the building and connects the interior activity to the activity of the greater campus and the city of Charlotte.
The interior design strategy sought to create a modern environment for today’s students, that harmonizes with the traditional architectural language of the campus. Playful geometric angles within the space help create continuous sightlines within the building while visually connecting activity between levels.
Design for Connection
The design solution features connection as a unifying theme, expressed through the programmatic layout and interior design strategies. From third-place spaces for shared experiences, to makerspaces for collective discovery, the building encourages students to connect with their academic passion, and one another.
Wrapped with amenities like grab-and-go dining, study lounges, technology labs, and art installations, the Parr Center encourages commuter students to stay on campus for extended periods of time.
Unifying the campus
Nestled within a hillside, the building resolves former accessibility issues by serving as an interior street that connects the upper campus quad to the street level below. The facility replaces two limited-use buildings to create a new new front door to the campus.
Student Informed Design
Student Informed Design
Student Informed Design
