Richland Two Center for Knowledge

Richland School District Two

Completion Date
August 2007

Project Budget
$1.69 Million

A prime example of how older buildings can be recycled and find new life, the renovation/addition for Richland School District Two's Center for Knowledge transforms two unoccupied classroom buildings into an innovative school community with simple, strategic renovation planning and a modest but careful addition. The solution has received several awards including Honor Awards from the American Institute of Architects, South Carolina Chapter and Greater Columbia Section, and the "Best in Class- Renovation" award by the SC Chapter of the Council of Educational Facility Planners (CEFPI).

A modest sized addition is placed between the two renovated classroom wings to create a new office and campus entrance. The addition's finish floor elevation is set between the two wings, minimizing the transition in grade and anchoring the accessibility path between the classroom buildings. The front lobby is day-lit with a generous floor to ceiling curtainwall façade that reinforces the sense of openness while providing staff an opportunity to observe visitors approaching the campus. An architectural marquee is featured perpendicular to the front entrance, reinforcing the new identity for CFK and countering the horizontality of the classroom buildings. An amphitheater is sculpted from the grade between the two classroom wings and addition, providing the outdoor teaching and gathering space so strongly advocated by teachers and students. Its organic form animates what was previously a grassed, non-descript space difficult to monitor or use constructively.

Showcase Project

Lib Jackson Student Center Annex

This project is a two-phase renovation and expansion of the Lib Jackson Student Center. Phase 1 of the project consists of an approximately 40,000 sf addition primarily to the south and west of the existing building with Phase 2 anticipated to be of a similar size positioned to the east. The project is designed to expand student services and provide support for individuals, groups and student organizations. The program spaces facilitate social interaction, recreation, administration and meeting rooms, and features a 250-seat theatre.

Northeast Engineering / Science Classroom Facility Construction

This 68,000 sq. ft. classroom building addition at the Northeast Technology Campus will become the new home of the Engineering and Science departments of the College. The program features teaching labs and classrooms focusing on clean energy technology, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing, supporting the mission of the College’s regional research partners. The design features strategies to provide student centered “casual” spaces that encourage social interaction and collaboration. The facility will showcase flexible spaces and planning strategies to respond to changes in mission and technology.

School Designs Change with the Times

If back-to-school brings visions of the proverbial little red schoolhouse, better think again. Today’s schools are more a combination of brain research, educational advancements, sustainability and technology, bringing new challenges for school architects and designers. This amphitheater was built into the design of the Center for Knowledge as another area of learning. (Photo/Courtesty Quackenbush Architects & Planners) “It’s really like the chicken and the egg,” said architect Doug Quackenbush, as educators and architects collaborate on designing new schools using resources and ideas from both fields. “We give school districts good advice on a fully performing 21st century school while they inform us of new teaching techniques and educational trends.”