Miami Dade College, the nation’s largest and most diverse institution of higher learning, was experiencing a critical shortage of adequate space. In response to this space need as well as the need for state of the art and cost effective facilities, Perkins+Will initiated a prototype planning process for all future learning space design. Resulting in a created environment that met MDC’s academic goals for student learning outcomes and success.

The Academic Support Center is a microcosm of MDC’s future growth. The 135,000 SF building centralizes all Student Services departments for the more than 120,000 students. The project includes 21 prototypical classrooms, a Resource and Testing Center and hovers over a base of admissions offices. It seamlessly unites both learning and administrative functions into a cohesive whole. The facility is a flagship for the Prototypical Learning Environments Basis of Design – a living roadmap for pedagogical innovation and growth. A scalable, modular planning approach was implemented enabling facility reconfiguration and allowing for diverse teaching and learning activities. The project is itself a learning tool helping the college achieve its 10 Learning Outcomes. Among which is to “describe how natural systems function and recognize the impact humans make on the environment”.