Legat Architects
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Campus on the Prairie

Rising from a vast prairie landscape, the SWEC captures the spirit of its community by blending quality and utility. It emphasizes curriculum, environmental respect, and cost-efficiency. The elongated mass fits the prairie scale and generates the dignity befitting a regional institution.

Changing Lives for a Changing World

Watch a video about the SWEC’s programs and LEED highlights.

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“The sustainable design of the facility makes good financial sense: we anticipate that the systems will pay for themselves in energy savings, and any savings beyond that will go back into the college.”

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Decorative Masonry Benefits

Employing the main campus’s three primary masonry tones, a decorative brick pattern achieves the scale of the region, resonates with the colorful and playful qualities of the adjacent commercial strip, and presents a strong wall to extreme weather from the north.

Sun Charmer

Louvers, light shelves, and the slender east-west spine bring daylight and outdoor views to 95% of interiors, while providing warmth and delight in the Midwestern climate.

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“Faculty and staff are using the building as a teaching tool, students are engaging with the green features of the building, and the community recognizes it as an asset.”

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Comfort and Cost Savings

If a classroom is occupied, sensors detect the rise in carbon dioxide and heat, cool, or ventilate the space accordingly. This maximizes comfort and reduces energy expenses.

Light and Views

A narrow floor plan and a long, east-west axis bring natural light and exterior views to 95% of interior areas.

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Daylight Harvesting

Careful calibration between the vertical spacing and the depth of the mullions creates a perfect daylighting ratio and a self-shading aperture.

Green Roof

A tray-based green roof system creates an open-air educational space where students connect with the natural environment and learn about sustainability.

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Process Imagery

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