It might seem impressive enough that
Philadelphia University, which was founded in the late 1800s as the
Philadelphia Textile School, has chosen to encourage a new form of academic collaboration among its design, engineering and commerce students. According to Debbie Goldberg, the university's director of media relations, "It became clear that collaborative, real-world learning, infused with the liberal arts, are critical skills for our students--as well as competencies that employers need."
It was exactly that philosophy that eventually led the university to create the new College of Design, Engineering and Commerce (
DEC), which will be launching in time for the fall 2011 semester. The overarching goal, explains Goldberg, is to "push students to think beyond the boundaries of existing disciplines, and (to) focus on market-driven innovation through teamwork, collaboration and connections with industry partners."
In an effort to put the full force of its economic strength behind the new collaborative college, Philadelphia University is constructing a stunning, $20 million, four-story building, which will be encircled by a perforated metallic structure intended to act as a sun-control screen. The college's design studios, classrooms and workshops will be housed in the new building, which is being designed by the
Shepley Bulfinch firm to achieve a LEED-silver designation. Groundbreaking is scheduled for June 10, 2011.
And although the building's forward-thinking exterior design will almost certainly be its singular most attention-grabbing feature, the interior is also being specially designed to encourage collaboration. Instead of housing permanent offices, for instance, removable walls and rolling furniture will be placed throughout. Currently, the 38,500-square-foot building is expected to be complete in the fall of 2012.
Source: Debbie Goldberg, Philadelphia University
Writer: Dan Eldridge
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