PROJECT  Montgomery College Math and Science Building

ARCHITECT  SmithGroup

LOCATION  Takoma Park, Maryland, US​

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  9/1/2024

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Design Team: SmithGroup - Provided the following services: FFE; Building Technology; HVAC Design; Architecture; Engineer of Record; Program Verification; Plumbing Design; Design; Electrical Engineering; Construction Documents; Laboratory Planning; Interior Design; Fire Protection; Construction Administration; Conceptual Design Robert Bull, AIA, Principal in Charge; Kevin Johnson, AIA, Project Manager; Bill Jones, AIA, Architecture; Lori Cappuccio, AIA, Principal, Architecture and Planning; Rabeea Hameed, Architecture, Designer; Wade Fuh, AIA, Architecture Lead Designer; Dominique Serrette, Architect; Jordan Duke, Architecture, Designer; Doris Cheng, Electrical Engineer; Jamison Caldwell, Mechanical Engineer; Matt Fogarty, Electrical Engineer; Victor Braciszewski, Impact Engineer; Elena Charming, Mechanical Engineer; Patricia Halaby, AIA, Architecture; Paula Caro, Architecture; Cheryl Brown, Interior Design; Joanne Valencia, Lab Planning; Yin Kay Wong, Plumbing Engineer; Viral Amin, Fire Protection Engineering; Lokesh Nigam, Fire Protection Engineering; Eric Dixon, Impact Engineer
OWNER/CLIENT  Montgomery College / Lisa Thomas, Senior Project Manager, Assoc. AIA, LEED GA
CONTRACTOR/CONSTRUCTION MANAGER  Barton Malow Construction / David Coleman
PHOTOGRAPHER  Alan Karchmer
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Mahan Rykiel Associates, Inc. / Steve Kelly
CIVIL ENGINEER Morton Thomas and Associates, Inc. / Mike Wychulis
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER  Cagley & Associates, Inc. / Daniel Camp
MECHANICAL ENGINEER 
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER 
CONSULTANT  Lighting Design: MCLA Inc., Kate Fuller, fuller@mcla-inc.com, 1000 Potomac Street NW, Suite 121 Washington, DC 20007, 202-298-8062
CONSULTANT  Greenhouse Designer: Winandy Greenhouse Co., Inc., Michael Doherty, michael.doherty@winandygreenhouse.com, 2211 Peacock Rd., Richmond, IN 47374,765-935-2111
CONSULTANT  Geotechnical: Schnabel Engineering DC, Inc., Bill Khouri, bkhouri@schnabeldc.com, 4200 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Suite LL9, Washington, DC, 20016, 202-677-4120
CONSULTANT  AV/IT, Security: speXsys, LLC, Jeff Cohen, jeff@spexsys.com, 7257 Parkway Drive, Suite 260, Hanover, MD 21076,443-253-9006
CONSULTANT  Planetarium Consultant: Bowen Technovation, Jeff Bowen, jeffb@bowentechnovation.com, 7988 E. 88th St., Indianapolis, IN 46256
CONSULTANT  Community Engagement: Link Strategic Partners, Michael Akin, makin@linksp.com, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW Suite G-3, Washington, DC 20004, 202-559-4446
CONSULTANT  Cost Estimator: Forella Group, Israel Agvero, israel@forellagroup.com, 5180 Parkstone Drive, #250, Chantilly, VA 20151, 571-305-5063
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CONSULTANT  
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SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT  
SITE: The new Catherine and Isiah Leggett Math and Science Building at Montgomery College’s Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus is intentionally nestled into the sloped landscape to create a new campus green for the college community. The site is repopulated with plants and tree species of the region and can also be incorporated as teaching materials for the school’s science programs. The structure is set back from the southeast corner of Fenton Street and Takoma Avenue to respect the scale of the adjacent historic-designated residential neighborhood. Walkways and tiered seating areas provide students, faculty, and staff places to gather and encourage interaction with nature. The building footprint provides entrances at each level and enables the interior programming to be arranged so that spaces such as classrooms, offices, and study areas can benefit from access to natural light, while labs that require less or no direct light are located on lower levels of the building. The project was also an opportunity to significantly increase storm water management measures on the site, such as bio-retention planters where there were none previously.

PROGRAM: The new building is a state-of-the-art facility designed to support STEM education and meet the needs of math and science programs. The three-level, 105,000 GSF building replaces two outdated structures and offers modern laboratories, classrooms, a learning center, planetarium, greenhouse, study spaces, offices, and support facilities.

SOLUTION: The project is organized around communal spaces that promote student success and collaboration outside formal learning environments. Two design features illustrate this: the Math and Science Learning Center and the double-height Forum, the geometric intersection between the building’s two main linear volumes and which connect the building's two wings. These communal areas offer students a range of study spaces where they can do focused individual work or meet with peers and teachers. Most importantly, the new building provides a home base for this commuter student body so that students can stay on campus throughout the day and are set up for a successful academic journey in the math and science courses required to pursue professional careers in the sciences, math, technology, medicine, and nursing.

JURY COMMENTS (If applicable)

An elegant, well-proportioned design with a restrained material palette that celebrates geometry, proportion, light, and air. A subtle twist in the plan creates striking double-height spaces, while the refined use of materials and natural light makes this a thoughtful and commendable scheme.

IMAGES (Captions and Photographer Credit)
1. A new campus green with walkways and tiered seating areas provide students, faculty, and staff places to gather and encourages interaction with nature. Photo: ©Alan Karchmer/OTTO
2. The building footprint provides entrances at multiple levels and enables the interior programming to be arranged so that spaces such as classrooms, offices, and study areas can benefit from access to natural light, while labs that require less or no direct light are located on lower levels of the building. Photo: ©Alan Karchmer/OTTO
3. The Math and Science Learning Center has a library-like feel where students can meet with peers and tutors. The space has a mix of furniture configurations depending on work needs including a series of private study rooms that can be reserved for small team meetings. Photo: ©Alan Karchmer/OTTO
4. Indigenous plants and landscaping surround the new building and were selected for a series of bio-retention planters to help facilitate campus storm water management. Photo: ©Alan Karchmer/OTTO
5. At the geometric intersection of the building’s two linear volumes, the spatial meeting creates one of the building’s primary communal spaces, the double-height Forum. Photo: ©Alan Karchmer/OTTO
6. The pre-function space outside the planetarium provides the college with much-needed event space for a variety of teaching, outreach, and donor special events activities. Day-to-day, the space provides informal meeting and study areas. Photo: ©Alan Karchmer/OTTO
7. The new building offers a full suite of laboratories including biology (shown here), chemistry, physics, and engineering. Photo: ©Alan Karchmer/OTTO
8. The new building is setback on the southeast corner of the site to respect the proximity of the adjacent historic-designated residential neighborhood. Photo: ©Alan Karchmer/OTTO