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When Texas A&M University officials sought to expand facilities to accommodate a growing student body, they looked to the same firm that had helped Oregon State University officials do the same: Bora Architects.

鈥淭exas A&M came to Corvallis and toured the Learning Innovation Center,鈥� said Amy Donohue, a Bora Architects principal. 鈥淭hey toured the building and were impressed with the intimacy.鈥�

Fostering intimacy will be a challenge for the design team planning a new, $52 million building with lecture halls holding 200 to 600 seats. The Texas A&M facility will be approximately 116,000 square feet. Currently, the project is in the schematic design phase.

鈥淚t will have learning studios and about 10 large classrooms,鈥� Donohue said. 鈥淚t will also house their center for teaching excellence, instruction media services and instruction tech services.鈥�

The building will also serve a significant architectural role on the campus. The university is split into two sections: a portion with buildings dating back to the early 1900s and a portion with more modern buildings.

鈥淭his (new) building will be a gateway presence,鈥� Donohue said. 鈥淚t is adjacent to the memorial tower. Our building is right on the bridge between historic sector and the new.鈥�

One of the challenges being addressed by the design team is how to allow as many as 2,200 students to navigate the building easily during the window between classes.

鈥淭here will be a big exchange of people moving in and out,鈥� Donohue said. 鈥淢oving the flow in and out so we don’t have big traffic jams is a big issue.鈥�

Other issues are physical. The building sits next to railroad tracks used by large, heavy freight trains. The design team must account for significant noise and vibrations.

Texas A&M officials have mandated that the building be built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver standards, but designers are aiming to achieve LEED gold. Achieving that level of energy efficiency in a hot climate will be difficult. On average, temperatures in College Station, Texas, from June through September are above 90 degrees. Goals will be achieved, Donohue said, by using highly efficient cooling systems and ensuring that direct sun exposure is minimized.

鈥淚t’s conducive with the orientation,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey have a much longer period when they need cooling (than in the Northwest). We have done projects in Texas, so we know how to hit our goals.鈥�

Officials expect the building to be ready to accommodate occupants in time for the 2020-21 academic year.

Design Beyond Borders is a 91视频 feature offering a look at the projects outside of Oregon being tackled by local architecture firms. To have your firm’s projects considered, contact 91视频 architecture and engineering reporter Kent Hohlfeld at 503-802-7224 or [email protected].