The Colorado School of Mines CoorsTek Center opens
By David Malone, Associate Editor
The CoorsTek Center, a four-story education and research facility on the Colorado School of Mines campus, has officially been completed.
The Center supports a range of academic and research activities and is the new home for the College of Applied Science and Engineering (CASE) and the Department of Physics. A metal and glass facade is vertically punctuated by service cores clad in dark masonry that help to anchor the building’s entrances. The building’s northwest exterior, which fronts the campus’s Kafadar Commons, comprises full-height glazing at Level 1, and vertical glass panels and metal fins at Levels 2 and 3 that float above and modulate as influenced by the building’s interior program.
In addition to the CASE classrooms, the CoorsTek Center also includes general classroom space such as media-intensive “Active Learning” rooms that are flexible and can be rearranged for group work and discussions. A promenade on Level 1 incorporates seating and collaborative work areas that emulate tech workplaces to prepare students for post-college work life.
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While Level 1 is available for the entire campus, Levels 2 and 3 contain dedicated teaching and research laboratories and faculty and graduate student offices. Below grade are additional lab spaces with specific lighting, sound, or vibration requirements.
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson designed the building in association with Anderson Mason Dale Architects.