The Prairie View A&M Fabrication Center, a new facility for the School of Architecture at Prairie View A&M University, is an innovative maker space designed to enable architectural students to bring their ideas to life. The building prioritizes hands-on learning, collaboration, and cross-disciplinary interaction. As one of the seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with an accredited architecture program, the School of Architecture plays a pivotal role in nurturing the next generation of diverse architects and visionaries.
Brick was integral to the design, selected because of its durability, sustainability, and historical connection to the existing campus. This new architecture looks to the prairie, the namesake of the university. The architects drew inspiration from the vast prairie landscapes, integrating the essence of this natural environment into the fabric of the building. The brick exterior, with its meticulously arranged and artfully extruded patterns, serves as a visual ode to the intricate layers of the prairie soil, creating a facade that speaks to the ecological and historical roots of the university. The stacked brick facade expresses a digital aspect with its four extruded patterns that repeat, creating a dynamic and unique façade. This deliberate use of brick as a high-tech design element within the context of this state-of-the-art facility not only represents a juxtaposition of old and new, but also serves as a tangible example of the potential for traditional building materials to play a leading role in cutting-edge architectural innovation. In addition to the digitized stratum that makes the tectonic material delicate, the prairie motif continues through filtering light into the space. As the visitor moves through the space, light monitors and clerestory windows offer illumination and connection to the sky. The building is divided programmatically into three areas: shops, assembly, and digital fabrication. Glass separates and lowers to highlight different equipment pieces in the shops. The entrance, deeply recessed, creates a covered outdoor gathering space, while the landscape embraces the building.
The resulting Fabrication Center, with its integrated brick design elements and carefully curated architectural features, not only presents a visually captivating space but also provides an immersive and stimulating environment where students can experiment with a wide array of materials, truly embodying the concept of “learning by doing.” This union of traditional brick craftsmanship and contemporary architectural concepts exemplified the power of thoughtful design and enriches the educational experience by offering a one-of-a-kind space for students to explore, innovate, and create.
