Prairie View A&M University Fabrication Center / Kirksey Architecture

While different concepts have influenced the design of the existing School of Architecture building, the new facility responds and develops these ideas further. This new architecture looks out into the prairie. Prairie View A&M’s manufacturing center is designed as an elevated level that refers to the “Prairie”. This plane hovers over the outer brick walls allowing light to filter into the space. The brick exterior walls indicate the extrusion of the plane by revealing the layers of the earth. The entrance, in deep relief, creates a covered outdoor gathering space, while the landscape hugs the building creating an uncovered gathering space.

The building is programmatically divided into three zones; Shops, assembly and digital fabrication. As the visitor navigates through the space, light screens and dividing windows provide illumination and a connection to the sky. The program consists of several different types of fabrication spaces that instead of being individual spaces, have a common assembly area where students can use a variety of equipment on a single project.

The assembly area is divided into two areas: digital assembly and store assembly. Both are connected to a large garage door. This central area also serves as a gathering space where students can experiment and learn from each other while using the facility. Developed as an inverted balcony, the assembly area has V-shaped columns running throughout the space that resembles the balcony of the current architecture school.

The prairie is imaged by filtering light into space as well as having a digital coating that makes the tectonic material sensitive. The exterior appears to have a soaring “prairie” roof hovering over a brick facade. Glass separates both glass and lowers to highlight the various pieces of equipment in stores. The stacked brick facade expresses a digital aspect through its four extruded patterns that randomly repeat creating a dynamic facade.