Pomona College Millikan Science Hall

Claremont, CA

The new Millikan Science hall sits on a similar footprint to its predecessor but elevates the learning experience for the science and physics classes and laboratories housed within. The new building inhabits a prominent corner on the Pomona College campus; the architecture resonates with the stature of the institution and the rigor of the learning happening inside and out. The project brief included an integrated building and landscape that would go beyond conventional sustainability and educational ideals. A deep and transparent partnership between our team, the architects, and a diverse set of user groups led to a solution that synthesized overlapping goals: stormwater management, outdoor education tools, and a desire to utilize transparent sustainable landscape strategies. The results are a dynamic teaching environment where learning moves outdoors and the entire site becomes a laboratory.

Water is channeled from the roof, down the exterior of the building, into raised and ground-level runnels and finally into rain gardens. This precious resource is revealed and honored as it makes its way through the landscape.

Beautifully crafted interactive physics equipment used by faculty and students makes learning fun while adding a meaningful layer to the large internal court.

An outdoor classroom provides a fair-weather place to take advantage of the Southern California climate.

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