The planning and design of college and university educational facilities is a core element of SFCS's practice. We have worked with numerous public and private colleges and universities, completing a wide variety of significant projects. Our portfolio of higher education work includes new construction and renovation, focusing primarily on research and training facilities, student and alumni centers, and classroom buildings. SFCS understands the academic community.

Learning Technology
Central to each project is technology that satisfies current learning trends and anticipates future trends. Educational facility infrastructure must encompass a wide range of technological tools to meet the evolving needs of information-age learning, instruction and research. SFCS implements planning concepts that maximize the flexibility and efficiency of advanced technology systems. Our solutions incorporate interactive A/V and networking systems, specialized lighting and acoustics, multi-zone environmental controls and expandable cabling distribution systems.

Social Community
Social life-the campus interaction between students, faculty, staff, alumni and visitors-has become a key measure of the quality of an educational institution and its ability to retain students. Student centers and student unions are the "living room" of the campus and promote a social community. SFCS's designs offer an appealing array of meeting, recreation, and dining options to the campus community. And, our ongoing study of hospitality trends and changing social demographics results in visitor and alumni centers with optimum recruitment and fund-raising appeal.

Contextual Design
Each college and university campus has an architectural heritage and signature. The SFCS approach to campus planning and design is based on an appreciation and respect for the legacy of buildings and spaces that define each campus. This architectural context-themes, images, materials, scales, colors and forms-gives us the foundation to create new buildings that express progressive change while sensitively blending with the existing campus. Complementing the original building design is also paramount when we design a renovation or expansion.

This design philosophy is the basis of our campus master planning, programming, planning, and design. Whether the project includes new growth, renovation, or expansion our approach fulfills current and future needs within the context of the campus's valued historic elements.

Back to Top