LEARNING BY DESIGN magazine - The University of Texas Permian Basin

Floor Plan - Level One
Floor Plan - Level Two (level 3 is similar)
Site Plan
The new Engineering building pulls from its site context in both historical and physical adjacencies.
“Strata” as a design parti to exterior façade and its interior programming.
“Strata” as a design parti becomes amplified at night, as light emits from the strips of glazing.
The building presents itself as a front porch to the community with a wide welcoming canopy; inviting students, faculty, and professionals to the campus.
The entry corridor of the building maintains its gesture as a front porch, providing a view out through the long landscape of the Permian Basin.
Representative of a front porch, the Student Commons fosters a place for community and growth. With natural materials and pops of color, this space energizes.
The Student Commons brings together engineers from multiple disciplines into a space that is both warm and welcoming with large amounts of natural sunlight.
Natural elements are respected throughout the building and permeate beyond just the exterior walls. Punched windows frame the flat Permian landscape beyond.
Long corridors are broken up by a rhythm of wooden baffles, accentuated by stone which emphasize materiality and mass.
Stairs seen from the second floor – the material selection remains neutral, but refined, to not take attention away from the natural materials.
Professional development and research opportunities for multiple fields of engineering occur in the building and its lecture classrooms.
With a high level of technology in these spaces, the labs remain flexible to accommodate future equipment and growth in engineering programs offered by UTPB.
Photography by Thomas McConnell
Photography by Thomas McConnell
Photography by Thomas McConnell

The new multi-story engineering building on University of Texas Permian Basin’s (UTPB) Midland Campus is sited within the economic epicenter of the Permian Basin and is a part of the newer UTPB campus located between Odessa and Midland, Texas. The building is thought of as a front porch to commuters between the two cities and welcomes prospective and current, faculty, and staff.

The design principle for the building draws from the historic and economic significance of the Permian Basin and its unique geological features – namely its shale formations, which are defined by its appearance as layered sheets. This is captured in the building's exterior and interior programming which are perceived as in strata, or in layers.

In anticipation of a growing student body, the three-story 98,900 SF building is programmed for expansions in its industrial technology programs related to the petroleum industry. It also accommodates an aerospace engineering track within the mechanical engineering program as well as future chemical and electrical engineering disciplines.

By empowering students, faculty, and staff, the facility ensures the support for its existing and future-anticipated engineering tracks and continued success in career-advancing education and economic growth of its communities.

The University of Texas Permian Basin – New Engineering Building

Description

Project Location:
Midland, TX

Architecture Firm
Stantec
Plano, TX
www.stantec.com/education

https://www.facebook.com/StantecInc

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Photography By:
Photography by Thomas McConnell

The University of Texas Permian Basin – New Engineering Building

Category

Description