The Los Rios Community College District and Folsom Lake College celebrated the grand opening of its new science building with a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony. The HMC Architects’ design team joined construction partners Otto Construction, school leadership, faculty, staff, and students to celebrate this landmark new space.

The new 75,000 SF building celebrates science and provides students and faculty with a warm, natural, and healthy space for learning. Designed to spark curiosity and inspire discovery, the building supports the school’s science programs with labs, learning resource spaces, classrooms, and offices.  To promote students’ passion for learning and collaboration in the sciences, the building’s design and materials draw inspiration from nature and blur the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces to tie the built environment to the natural world. The building doesn’t just house science; it puts it on full display. The glass facade draws its inspiration from biomimicry and the design team incorporated a Voronoi algorithm—a pattern found everywhere in nature—to create a “skin” that blends art, technology, and science.

Classes began this week, and the deans noted that the science classes in the new building are full, with many students on the waiting list. The building is on its way to promoting excitement and passion for STEM learning.