Project:   an entirely new City College campus, programmed and designed, 

                aiming to double student population of an existing and relocated school

Issue:      how to attract local students attracted to better funded suburban 2 year colleges

Answer: to maximize learning synergies by collecting as much activity in one space.

                to maximize operational flexibility by building separate buildings,

                tie all together with one common service area

The Wright College project was for the programming, designing, and engineering of a $100 million complete City College campus. The solution included 5 major buildings. My role was as project manager in this, the last major project of Bertrand Goldberg Associates.

The heart of the solution was developed as the Learning Center, where all libraries, computer labs and faculty offices were collected. There,  an open environment was established, for 24 hour learning would take place in a variety of ways. This Learning Center provided a mark of distinction, as Wright College had to compete with better-financed suburban colleges nearby. 

The design solution was expressed in a giant “barn of learning”, where open site lines and  spatial integration was provided. A concrete framework was clad with exposed precast concrete tees, providing a large open roof economically.

Over the past 12+ years of occupancy, Wright College has had growing enrollments and has proven that the original planning concepts were successful.