Dome

Detail, north corner of the east facade; two pods on second floor and two pods on first floor; Part of Paradise Valley Community College; the building is home to lab spaces for biology, anatomy and physiology biotechnology, classroom and administrative space. The rain-collector roof incorporates subterranean retention tanks. The building also adds collaborative and meeting spaces for the whole campus through the east facade portico. Structural steel columns support a wide roof canopy that accommodates a series of indoor/outdoor "pods" made of perforated steel. The pods, which are equipped with power and blackboards and are cooled by large overhead fans, serve as collaborative spaces for students and overlook a swath of desert slated to become a campus green. The pedestrian bridge runs underneath the canopy, between the building and the pods, reinforcing the idea of the project as a kind of public porch. Source: Marlene Imirzian & Associates Architects; http://www.imirzian-architects.com/ (accessed 5/3/2013)