Located on a prominent downtown site, Campus Center proposes a dynamic gateway to Miami Dade College. We developed the program vertically into a pair of towers to achieve the highest density possible. This led to an exciting blend of student, staff, and public spaces that optimize spatial efficiency and enable a cross-pollination of functions and experiences. It includes leasable commercial space to generate revenue for the college—and the vibrancy that comes with mixed-use—as well as a lifestyle-focused environment designed to attract student enrollments.

Defining elements of the design include a greenery-filled, open-air retail podium with shops and cafes, a third-story social quad as the heart of student life, and a “sky” quad with fitness and well-being activities. Each space is a hub and catalyst, supporting a vibrant college culture and identity: connecting and drawing people up through the interior to the various study, play, and living floors.

This interior planning generates a distinctive portal form, providing for a flow of activity, people, light, air, and views through the site. The carved, contoured center is unique on the Miami skyline, and its proposed LEED®-certified steel structure is incredibly efficient. Other sustainable practices include an e-glass curtain wall, solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and micro gas turbines for on-site power generation.

A concise, concentrated solution to a complex set of requirements, our proposal builds the Miami Dade College brand, acts as a social catalyst for students and staff, and revitalizes the surrounding urban neighborhood.